Less than two weeks from now, on November 3rd, 2026, I will work the polls during the Pennsylvania midterm election, where I serve as the acting Judge of Elections; and where I do my bit to make sure that voters are able to safely and freely exercise their right to vote.
I will follow the protocols of the Election Commission so that not only are voters able to vote in a timely, efficient manner, but that they may do so in the knowledge that their vote will be counted, and that should there be a question(s), there is a relevant, properly documented and traceable paper trail. I have done so for a little over ten years.
Voting is the only real opportunity that We the People have to hold our government and our representatives accountable.
On this blog and elsewhere, I have urged everyone who is eligible to vote to do so, and I have pointed out the many ways in which the GOP has worked behind the scenes to shrink the number of eligible voters and to curtail their ability to vote through malfeasance, gerrymandering, intimidation and bad faith litigation.
But for the roughly fourteen hours that I’ll be working the polls (including a lunch break), any partisan notions I may have are immaterial to the job at hand. I will do my job. As poll workers across the country–Democrat and Republican–will do.
Acting in the public interest, without fear or favor is crucial to a functioning democracy. Judges, jurors, poll workers (and ideally, our elected officials) regard themselves as participating in the life of the nation, and in its interests when they put aside their private concerns for the public good. Do they do so perfectly? Hardly.
Is voting perfect? No. But it’s the only way to ensure that the government that acts in our name is accountable. Those who don’t vote guarantee that the outcomes they fear and deride will come to pass.
Vote on November 3rd. It’s your right, and your only direct means legitimating and ensuring that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
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James McCrone writes upmarket thrillers that raise questions about the nature of power, the choices we make and the lessons we don’t learn.
He is the author of the Imogen Trager political suspense-thrillers Faithless Elector, Dark Network , and Emergency Powers–noir tales about a stolen presidency, a conspiracy, and a nation on edge. Bastard Verdict, his fourth novel, is about a conspiracy surrounding a second Scottish Independence referendum. His current novel, out on submission, is Witness Tree, where a newly sober ex-con is trapped at the center of a white supremacist plot when he is the only witness to an execution, turning his hopes for a new life into a fight for survival. Set in Oregon’s wine country, it’s a (pinot) noir tale of murder and corruption.
All books are available on BookShop.org, IndyBound.org, Barnes & Noble, your local bookshop, and Amazon. eBooks are available in multiple formats including Apple, Kobo, Nook and Kindle.
He’s a member of Mystery Writers of America, Int’l Assoc. of Crime Writers, and he’s the current president of the Delaware Valley chapter of Sisters in Crime. He lives in Philadelphia. James has an MFA from the University of Washington in Seattle.
For a full list of appearances and readings, make sure to check out his Events/About page. And follow this blog!
You can also keep up with James and his work on social media:
Bluesky: @jmccrone.bsky.social
Facebook: James McCrone author (@FaithlessElector)
and Instagram/Threads “@james.mccrone”
