Johnson County poll worker says supervisor discriminated against them for being gay
A Johnson County poll worker said their Election Day supervising judge discriminated against them for being gay while working at a polling place in Overland Park.
Jae Moyer, who uses they/them pronouns, said it was their first time working the polls. Moyer was at a polling place at 75th Street and Metcalf Avenue, setting up machines and working at the provisional ballot station.
Throughout the day, Moyer said, the supervising judge acted condescending, telling Moyer to stop talking so loud or to get off their phone, even as she would pull out her own phone.
Moyer said the supervising judge said things such as “you’re very flamboyant” and “you’re very theatrical.” Moyer tried to joke back and said, “maybe that’s because I’m gay.”
The supervising judge seemed to recoil at that idea.
To Moyer, it seemed she was implying that their sexuality was “taboo or dirty.”
“This woman (was) kind of discriminating against me,” Moyer said. “As an LGBTQ person, I felt uncomfortable.”
Reached by phone Friday, interim election commissioner Connie Schmidt said she apologized for what happened to Moyer. She said Moyer did the right thing in reporting their experience.
“I think anybody that serves as a poll worker is my hero,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt will remain in the position until 2021 while she trains Fred Sherman, who was named deputy election security commissioner in February.
On Election Day, despite the discomfort Moyer did not transfer to another location but instead remained at the polling place to report anything else the supervising judge did or said that day.
As Moyer later reported to Schmidt, the supervising judge in at least two cases didn’t enforce the law against electioneering at the polling place.
Two men wore Trump 2020 hats inside the polling place. After being approached by the supervising judge, one man put the hat in his back pocket where it was still visible. The other put his hat on backward.
Kansas law says it is illegal to try to persuade voters by clearly displaying any support to a candidate near a polling place.
Schmidt said it sounded as if the supervising judge did not handle the issue appropriately.
Friday afternoon, Moyer talked with Schmidt by phone. Both said it was positive conversation. Schmidt apologized for what Moyer experienced.
Schmidt spoke with other poll workers at the location. She said she has not yet been able to speak with the supervising judge to hear her side.
The incidents have been noted in the supervising judge’s file, Schmidt said, and marked for coaching and possible reassignment.
Moyer said they want the supervising judge held accountable.
“I want to make sure that what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else who wants to be a poll worker.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2020 at 6:22 PM.
