Election Day 2018

Election Day on Isle au Haut

In the midst of a swirling drizzle, we unfolded and hoisted the old American flag and declared the polls open. It hadn't been flown in a while, but today was a special day. Around the country there were already reports of long lines at the polls. But here on Isle au Haut, there were no such lines. Only the four of us: the two ballot clerks, the warden, and the town clerk, waiting in the empty town hall for the first voters of the day.

Every time we heard a truck rumble outside, we would jump into position to check them off the incoming voter list. One or two people would trickle in, vote in silence (no talking in the voting booth, especially when everyone in the room can hear what you're saying) and deposit their ballots into the beautiful old wooden ballot box with the words "Official ballot box: Property of State of Maine" stamped on it. At one point, all three voting booths were full and one person had to wait in line! Around 1:00 the four school children came in while the teachers voted. They wanted to know everything: who was on the ballot, what the bond measures were for, how ranked-choice voting works. I gave them a mini lesson, delighted to see them enthralled by what to many kids would be boring information. Using the sample ballot, they completed their own ranked-choice election, in which Hermione Grainger won with a majority (no need to redistribute the 2nd and 3rd choice votes as in Maine's hotly contested 2nd district).

Manning the voting table was more than a solemn civic duty. It was a chance to see the residents of the island, socialize, and participate in community. By the time the evening rolled around we had narrowed the list down to the last few eligible voters that we knew would be coming in that night.

With the high number of absentee ballots included, the voter turnout was likely close to 95%. In a state where voter turnout hovers around 55 or 60%, and the national average even lower, IaH residents can pride themselves on being some of the most civically active citizens in the country. But this is not a surprise. In such a small community, people are used to making their voices heard. When you have seen firsthand how much impact one person can have, voting just makes sense. In my short time here I have repeatedly noticed how strongly people want to participate in local issues. Though town politics causes significant headaches and occasional hard feelings, people here learn to be active on a level that I have never seen anywhere else. It is why the rest of the country should be looking to small rural communities to see how people have been doing it for generations.

At 10:15 we finally finished counting the ballots. We packed up the tables and chairs and returned the old ballot box to its place on the filing cabinet upstairs, where it will remain until the next election.