Peggy Lee remembers how amazed she was the first time she worked an election in 2020 and saw up close what happens to a submitted ballot.
“I learned there are so many procedures and safeguards in place to ensure that every ballot is processed in a secure and confidential manner,” said the senior clerk-recorder assistant in the Nevada County Elections Office.
Election workers really do verify every signature on every vote-by-mail envelope. “For example, if a voter forgets to sign their ballot or if there is an issue with a signature matching, our staff makes every effort to contact the voter so that they can sign or update their signature.” Lee said.
Previously from Hawaii, Lee has lived in California 22 years. She loves living in Nevada County. With her youngest son, Adam, now in college, she enjoys having more time for her hobbies, including reading, painting, going to the beach and hanging out with her two cats.
She started with the Elections Office as a temp in 2019. The most difficult thing about the job is dealing with incorrect information, she said. “As an election worker, I don’t care about someone’s party preference or political view,” she said. “I take my job seriously and when I am at work, I am politically neutral, just as my co-workers are. We really don’t care who you vote for, we just want you to vote.”
Fortunately, the positives of the job well outweigh the challenges. “I think what I like most about working in elections is how rewarding it feels to do something that is so important—not only to our county, but to the nation,” she said. “It is a vital piece of democracy, and I am very proud to be part of it.”
