Meeting Voters After Work

By Cynthia Ward

Immediately after work on Election Day 2017, I headed to the Letts Community Center to meet and greet evening voters. This was a good location to collect signatures because the 100 feet “do not cross line” was clearly marked and the parking was beyond the line so voters had to walk within earshot of me to get to the community center. There was a steady stream of voters, all of whom were very pleasant and patient. I say patient because I was not the only petition circulator. There were two other circulators. And there was also a then-current candidate for city council handing out literature.

I was not dressed appropriately for standing on the sidewalk for over two hours in frigid temperatures. When I arrived, I still had on my dress pumps from work and a light wool driving coat. I lasted only 90 minutes when the cold weather got the better of me. I did not give up; I remembered I had a pair of tennis shoes in my car along with a blanket. After 90 minutes outside, changing my shoes was not that easy of a task. My fingers were so cold that it was difficult for me to undue the ankle buckles on my dress pumps and to tie the laces on my tennis shoes. Eventually, I accomplished the shoe change and wrapped myself in the blanket. It was just what I needed to collect signatures for an additional 30 minutes. In total, I collected over 70 signatures from city of Lansing registered voters on the evening of Election Day. Thank you, Ward 4- precincts 36 and 37 voters!