Mark Woods: Jacksonville voter has Election Day tradition. It includes words of encouragement.
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These days it’s easy to become jaded about politics and, by extension, Election Day.
That’s why I talked to Jay Farley about his tradition.
Farley, an executive assistant at Florida Blue, is known for his attention to detail and consistency, from his work to his natty attire.
He’s tall, skinny, wears glasses and, at age 61, still has a thick head of hair. And even on an average Tuesday, Farley dresses better than I have on probably any day, always accenting his suits with pocket squares and, as he describes it, pops of color.
“As far as my appearance goes, I certainly can’t be considered a wallflower,” he said.
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He mentions this to help explain why he thinks the poll workers at his precinct remember him.
His appearance is only part of it. It begins with the fact that about 10 years ago, he started showing up at his polling place before the clock struck 7 a.m. and voting began.
As he waited, he watched as the poll workers did their last-minute preparations, taking their oath, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
When they said the pledge, he joined in.
His tradition was born.
“If there’s anything about me, I’m consistent,” he said. “And so I’ve consistently shown up at my precinct when there’s a vote, first thing in the morning, dressed to the nines.”
About seven years ago, when he switched precincts to #1408 — St. Johns Presbyterian Church on Herschel Street in Riverside — he continued the tradition. And eventually it became more than his tradition.
The poll workers started waiting to do the oath and pledge until he arrived.
He watches them as they finish their preparations. He joins them in the pledge. And then, when there is this lull before they can allow voting to begin, he does something else.
“There’s this minute or 30 seconds before the polls actually open,” he said. “They’re already set. They’re just waiting for the clock to wind down. That’s when I’ll say something, give them some words of encouragement.”
Buckle up, even bumpier politics ahead
I’ll come back to Farley and what he says each Election Day. I figure these days we all could use some words of encouragement.
It was an exhausting election cycle. More than $16 billion was spent on campaigns nationally. Sixteen billion. That’s more than the annual budget for most American cities. That’s bigger than the GNP of some nations.
Between the ads and news, I’m guessing that no matter which side of the aisle you’re on, you’re glad it’s over. Maybe you’re even breathing a sigh of relief.
Not so fast. Buckle up. Because that was just a warmup for what’s ahead.
On a local level, we’re headed to a mayoral campaign, one that already has shattered fundraising records. Some of the same consultants who filled your mailbox and television with attack ads will be back. There isn’t a question of whether it will get silly and ugly. The only question is how silly and ugly.
On a state level, Florida figures to be the epicenter of national politics.
Gov. Ron DeSantis spent $100 million on his reelection campaign — and he still has $90 million in the bank, presumably destined for a 2024 presidential run.
On this final weekend of this campaign, the governor touted quite the endorsement. An ad for DeSantis, using a thundering voice and black-and-white photos, laid out this premise: On the eighth day, God created … Ron DeSantis.
On the same weekend, at a rally in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump tested out a nickname for the Florida governor, calling him Ron "DeSanctimonous."
It doesn’t quite roll off the tongue like Lyin’ Ted, Little Marco and other nicknames Trump has used to beat party rivals into submission. But this is just the beginning. Trump is expected to announce this month that he’s running for president again.
Put all of this together and I’m already dreaming of being somewhere in the wilderness, completely disconnected for a couple of years.
That’s one of the reasons I liked the idea of talking to Jay Farley.
It’s easy to become jaded by politics and campaigns. So how does someone still get excited about every Election Day?
If we don't participate, we lose
“I guess it goes back to learning about government in school,” he said. “And remember the old Schoolhouse Rock videos? Those catchy tunes stuck with me.”
He says that as a young adult, he didn’t necessarily vote every election. But when he did, it always was on Election Day, at his polling place.
“That was part of the experience,” he said.
In the last 20 years, as he began to pay more attention to politics, he made sure to vote in every election. And while some of us have started voting early or by mail, he has continued to wait until Election Day to do it in person.
Even in this incredibly divisive time, when some Americans refuse to believe election results, he still believes in this day.
“We have a say,” he said. “You can feel that it’s not making a difference, the people I'm voting for aren't winning, it's not going the way I think it should, so why should I contribute? But to me, that's neither here nor there. It’s the fact that you show up and get it done. We created this process. And the only way it works is if we participate. If we don’t, we lose.”
When he says this, he doesn’t mean our party or our candidates lose. He means more broadly we lose.
With that in mind, on Election Day he arrives early at St. Johns Presbyterian Church. He watches the poll workers take their oath, joins in when they say the pledge and then, in that lull before voting begins, offers some words of encouragement.
“I just want to thank everyone for being here,” he recalls saying to them. “It's probably going to be a long busy day. Lord knows what characters are going to come walking through that door. And I just wanted to say thank you for being here. I very much appreciate it and appreciate seeing your smiling faces every time I come here.”
mwoods@jacksonville.com
(904) 359-4212
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Election Day tradition for Jacksonville voter and poll workers
