One hand rattles a bottle of Advil in the pocket of his baggy corduroys as he sits in the cramped space under the harsh glare of fluorescent lights. In the same pocket is a broken wristwatch. He munches an apple picked off a table of high school boosters stationed farther down the hall. Voters filing out of the voting area must pass by his table on the way out to their cars. As they pass, Carter makes his pitch between bites.
Most people keep walking, shaking their heads or smiling politely.
If a head turns or a gait slows, Carter jumps to his feet and moves closer. Forests are being sprayed to kill the hardwoods, he explains. It s already law in Vermont. You re not voting for it. It s just to put it on the ballot, he reassures.