"I can’t vote. I’m a convicted felon."

So things have taken a very interesting turn here in Columbus, OH. For one thing- I am starting to learn the lay of the land and also starting to get on East Coast time… both of which are EXTREMELY helpful. For the past week, I have been volunteering in the main office of South Frankling County- doing whatever they need me to do. This has ranged from pounding the pavement, clipboard in hand, knocking on doors and asking voters who they plan to support in November. I’ve also called people and left messages about how Barack Obama’s health care plan is better for Ohio (and the nation). I’ve also entered data. So much data- into a massive statewide data base that tracks voters and their preferences.

My feet hurt. It’s cold. My hands and knuckles are cracked because I keep washing them and have no lotion. I’ve had an upset stomach for the past three days, mostly just from adjusting to new food and a new environment. I’m sick of the sound of my own voice. I keep missing my favorite shows and hearing other people tell me what happened. AND I LOVE EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF IT.

I was recently assigned my own precinct. Because I attended a Camp Obama and was trained as a Deputy Field Organizer, I am now supporting the Field Organizer for South Hilltop, South Frankling County, Ohio State. Fancy huh? Well let me tell you a little about Hilltop.

I got assigned to Hilltop because the volunteer team overhead me say that I am staying off one of the streets in this area. Good news- the area I am staying is FABULOUS. It looks a lot like I would picture any suburb in any midwest town to look like. Reminds me a lot of Oklahoma City. Backyards. They love their Halloween here. Decorations and American flags galore. It’s pretty. Well-kept. Feels safe. This is the area I am staying in. This is the area they assigned me to.

But Hilltop is actually made of five neighborhoods. And the one I am staying in (Westgate) is the nicest neighborhood. Today- I went and traveled through the not-so-nice neighboorhood, only a couple blocks away. Some of my favorite memories from today include hearing the title of this blog not once, but TWICE. “I can’t vote, I’m a convicted felon.” My response? “Well that’s a shame. The part about you not being able to vote, I mean.”

I spoke to women with no teeth. I spoke to households with four generations living under one tiny roof. Every 5th house was foreclosed. Two of the five that did have occupancy had recently moved in, so the names on my list were almost always wrong. One gentleman tried to give me a DVD about his conspiracy theory related to 911. One woman who was 73 says she is waiting for G-d to tell her who to vote for and she “ain’t got the message yet.” One man had 10 children living in his home- his eldest daughter, also registered to vote because she just turned 18, was away at school. He called McCain the antichrist. I liked him. Most of these people will not vote. And hardly any of them agreed to volunteer.

And this is the work I LOVE doing. They need it the most. They need their voices heard the most. And excitingly enough- their votes count just as much as the people living just across Broad Street in fancy Bexley (which reminds me a lot of the homes on Main Street in the movie “Father of the Bride.”) These people are POOR. These people live dangerously below the poverty line. And these people are untouched by the Republican party. The only thing that happened from the Republican party in Hilltop during the last election was that they posted flyers telling the residents that the election day had been MOVED. So these people didn’t vote. They didn’t get their voice heard. And they’ve been the most adversely affected by Bush’s administration. A factory closed every 2 weeks in the state of Ohio during Bush’s last term.

I love Hilltop. And I love these people. And I want them to vote. Because if they do- McCain has no chance.

Related posts:

1. I did it. I voted.
2. Two Weeks More.
3. Miss Kitty
4. Lipliner
5. Yes We Did.