Volunteers Help to Get Out the Vote at Charlestown Polling Precinct

CATONSVILLE, MD (September 19, 2016) -- On November 8, voters across the country will head to their local schools, community centers, and churches to cast their ballot for the 2016 presidential election. But for residents of Charlestown retirement community, exercising their right to vote is even more convenient with Baltimore County polling precinct #16 located on their Catonsville campus.

For the last 25 years a polling place has been provided for more than 2,000 Charlestown residents, as well as registered voters who live outside the community. Charlestown relies heavily on volunteers like Charles Tucker to keep things running smoothly on Election Day.

“We started preparing for the general election as soon as the primary election was over,” says Charles, a resident and chief judge.

Chief judges are responsible for providing instructions to voters, answering questions, and monitoring the activities in the polling place. Charles has spent the last seven months planning every last detail of Election Day.

“I develop a floor plan for our conference center of how everything will be set up,” says Charles. “This year will be different from 2012 because we switched from electronic voting back to paper ballots so there is a little more involved.”

Charles organizes about 40 volunteers who work two-hour shifts greeting voters, manning the information table, and guiding people where to go next. Charlestown’s chapter of the League of Women Voters is among the volunteers.

The League of Women Voters is a grassroots nonpartisan national political organization comprised of women and men working to improve the systems of government. They’ve tackled such issues as child labor and civil rights to the Equal Rights Amendment and the Motor Voter Law. Resident Phyllis Lansing leads the Charlestown chapter.

In preparation for the November election Phyllis and the Charlestown group have helped host registration drives allowing people to register to vote, update their registration information, as well as assistance offered with filling out absentee ballots.

“The League also puts out an information guide called Vote 411 which provides information about the candidates who are running for office and where they stand on the issues so that people can make an informed choice,” says Phyllis.

Charlestown Community Resources Manager Mary Evans and her staff provide logistical support to Charlestown resident-run groups like the election volunteers.

“There is a very grassroots effort to accommodate everyone who wants to vote. Everything is covered,” says Evans. “This is a very active community and we expect it will be hopping around here on Election Day. I have a feeling we will see strong numbers of voters coming out because people are so passionate.”

According to the US Census Bureau out of the 126 million Americans who voted in the 2012 election, citizens age 65 and older held the highest registration rate of any age group at 77%, with a reported 71% actually casting a ballot.

Charlestown also features its own democratically-run Residents’ Advisory Council. Designed to act as a liaison between Charlestown residents, management, and the Board of Directors, the council serves as a voice for the people who live at Charlestown regarding their comfort, safety, and satisfaction, much like local community associations across the country.

Committees cover specific areas like grounds keeping, housekeeping, finance, health, and maintenance and engineering. The chair person from each of those committees meets monthly with their staff counterparts to discuss any news or upcoming things happening in the community.

Charles is a member of the Legislative Political Committee, a group that keeps Charlestown residents informed of political matters. The committee is also responsible for inviting candidates running for local office to speak at the community.

“Unlike the presidential race, candidates running for local office don’t get as much exposure so voters may not be aware of who is running,” says Charles. “We reach out to the candidates and invite them to come speak here on campus. It gives residents an opportunity to get familiar with who they are.”

Senator Ben Cardin, Governor Martin O’Malley, Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, and even President Bill Clinton are among some of the politicians who have made an appearance at Charlestown over the years.

As for this election, Phyllis can’t predict who will win, but she urges people to get out and vote.

“A lot of people think it won’t make a difference whether or not they vote,” says Phyllis. “But it really does make a difference.”

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Caption for attached photo: Barbara Carlisle (left) and Phyllis Lansing are among the dozens of volunteers who help make sure Election Day goes smoothly at the Charlestown retirement community (photo by Mel Tansill). This story was written by Danielle Rexrode.