Toshia Johnson Tel. In a tradition that dates back nearly a quarter century, a small army of volunteers and staff members will take on two days of added responsibility to make sure every patient on every unit has an opportunity to vote. According to Barbara Colner, Director of the Volunteer Services Department, ensuring complete coverage throughout the hospital is a time-consuming challenge that requires the participation and coordination of numerous departments, including the Emergency Department, Admitting, Nursing, Admissions, Hospitality and Patient Relations.
Absentee voting is a two-stage process.
Interested voters must first complete an application for an absentee ballot. Therefore, the task on Monday, the day before the election, is to visit each patient, record each name on log sheets, and note whether a ballot is requested or refused. At about 5 a.m. that day, a few volunteers begin offering the applications to incoming morning surgery patients. Each volunteer is assigned to a particular nursing unit that will be his or her responsibility during the two-day process. For one thing, patients sometimes need help filling out the application and ballot forms.