Poll workers ready for Election Day rush in Collier County

Poll workers gear up for a busy Tuesday in Collier County; some have been there for a while, and this year marks their first time working at a polling place for others.

WINK News reporter Valentina LaFranca went to a polling location to give us their thoughts, and the final preparations that take place at the polls.

Although the polls are open for 12 hours on Tuesday, Election Day is at least a 14-hour event for poll workers. In early. Out late.

And the day before, they have an important role as well.

Clerks from all over Collier County came into the Supervisor of Elections Office, “Today, picking up my supplies for my precinct, and then tomorrow, I’ll be there running it,” said one volunteer, Jacob Buckheit.

Why do these people do it?

Bernard Diego from Cuba has been in the country for 64 years and found time to get involved, “I like to do it, and I like to contribute something to the country.”

“I’ve been doing it probably for 16 years,” said fellow volunteer Debbie Javarone. “I do it due to the fact that when you move to a place, you want to learn a system, figure out the system, and you do, and then you trust the system. So, I really trust Naples and Collier County.”

For 17-year-old Tristan Dasari, it’s about his own political aspirations.

“I had motivation to learn how the election process worked because I might be the one on the ballot one day,” said Dasari.

Buckheit said, “It’s way different than my regular job, so I like to go out there and help the community vote and everything. It’s fun.”

Supervisor of Elections Melissa Blazier said these poll workers know the process inside out and are here to help.

“They are your family members, your friends, your neighbors, maybe someone you go to church with, and they deserve the same kind of respect that we all deserve,” she said.

So don’t forget to thank a poll worker on election day.

Remember, Tuesday’s polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. You must vote in your assigned precinct, and if you haven’t dropped off your mail-in ballot yet, be sure to do so by the time the polls close.