NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — After 14 years as an election worker, Ron O'Brien will monitor his last election Tuesday.

 

"It is a very interesting job, and you get to meet a lot of people," O'Brien said. "And you learn a heck of a lot about voting."

 

O'Brien said he first got involved in elections like many do in North Adams — he was a known retiree and former City Clerk Marilyn Gomeau knew he was likely free on election day.

 

"Marilyn hunts down people to be poll workers, and she never comes up short," he said. "If she knew that you weren't working, she would ask you." 

 

O'Brien said his first election was in 2006, and his duties changed over the years as Gomeau gave him more responsibilities.

 

"Before we do anything we have to be sworn in … the clerk will usually give a little pep talk," he said. "... Marilyn says, 'if anything goes wrong or you have a question don't look for me, look for Ron.' I am kind of second in charge."  

 

O'Brien is a jack of all trades when it comes to working an election. He said he helps oversee the polls, does paperwork, assists inactive voters, and even fixes a paper jam once in a while. 

 

"I have been there so long, and I know how these machines work," he said. "If they get a jam they call me, and I can usually figure out what it is."

 

He really does not have a title but said many of his duties would typically fall under "head warden."

 

O'Brien said every election day is a long day, especially for him. He said most workers come and go in shifts but because of his position, he has to be at the polls before they open and after they close. He said this is part of the reason he decided to call it quits.

 

Although a lot of work, O'Brien said he has always enjoyed being an election worker and always felt comfortable in the, at times, frantic environment.

 

"It is fun. You meet a lot of people, you see old friends you haven't seen in a while, and I am a numbers person so I am always doing something with numbers," he said. "I continuously walk around and check how many have voted in each ward and figure out the percentages ... stuff like that that I don't have to do."

 

O'Brien added that he has learned a lot about voting and elections by working behind the scenes. He added that he also learned that a lot of people know very little about elections.

 

People often do not know how party affiliation works or what they are actually voting for in primary elections, he said.

 

When it comes to ballot questions, O'Brien said many come to the polls completely unaware.

 

"You see a lot of people who actually have no idea what is going on," he said. "They are important questions but people don't take the time to read about them ... it is kind of fun informing them." 

 

O'Brien said he has had some tense moments over the years at the polls, and he is often the one who has to maintain order.

 

"It is a pain in the neck when you have to confront someone or they try to confront you," he said. "The bottom line is I cannot stop anyone from voting ... they don't have to have an ID, and I have to let everybody vote. The thing is they don't realize even though I am letting them vote if the credentials aren't there that vote is not going to count."

 

O'Brien said it is important to be kind to everybody even if they are being difficult.

 

"You have to treat everybody nicely," he said. "I don't care if they call you names, and they may tell you 'this is crazy' but you have to tell them that you have to follow the rules."

 

Looking back, O'Brien said he always preferred local elections over national ones and specifically pointed out one some years ago where there were a large number of people running for City Council. 

 

"It was an extremely interesting election because there was so much conversation with some of the people we have around town ... one guy we almost had to lock up. We told him 'if you do this anymore we are going to put handcuffs on you and take you away,'" he said. "The national elections are exciting, but they are so cut and dry you don't always get the rabble-rousers outside."

 

O'Brien said being an election worker is not necessarily a difficult job but one where you must be vigilant. He said one misstep could send the data into a tailspin. 

 

"You have to be accurate in everything you do, and you have to double-check everything you do because if you make a mistake at that level it is a pain in the neck to correct," he said. "You make one little slip at the bottom and by the time it get to the top, it is a mess ... if you are off by one person it can be a pain in the neck."

 

He recalled one election where a voter voted and then stopped to chat with a neighbor. He said he mistakenly headed toward a voting machine in another ward.

 

"He was in the next ward," he said. "We caught him, but if that went through it would have messed everything up."

 

O'Brien said he is leaving on a high note with an impeccable record. He said the city, under Gomeau, never had a challenged vote overturned.

 

"Marilyn and [City Clerk] Debbie [Pedercini] are meticulous about every single detail," he said. "A lot more than I have seen in other communities. It has to be regimented. Boom, boom, boom this is the only way to do it and that is the only way you do it."  

 

He said the city is in good hands with Pedercini, who took over last year, and he was encouraged by the number of young people now interested in politics.

 

He did admit that he was not looking forward to Tuesday. 

 

"I wish everybody good luck, but I am really not looking forward to this particular election because this is going to be a madhouse," he said. "Tempers are so high right now, everyone is on the edge, and it doesn't take much to get into an argument with someone. It gets tense in there and I hope nothing happens."

 

He did wish whoever took his place going forward the best of luck. And he did note Gomeau is now retired and might have some availability.