Political Activism Thriving in Federal Workforce

The OPM said its coverage focused on racial and ethnic matters and minority language issues. If local election officials provided signs and ballots and interpreters in foreign languages, OPM staffers made sure the signage was appropriate and the interpreting was done properly. The minority languages went well beyond Spanish and included Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese), Choctaw, Hopi, Keresan, Navajo, Towa and Vietnamese.

OPM monitors do not interpret for voters or provide direct assistance to them.

"When we talk of the OPM role to provide observers, it is very literal 'observers'; there is no discussion," OPM Associate Director Kay Ely said.

If they do observe improprieties, captains of their field teams "report it immediately" to the Justice Department, she added.

Neal Orringer, a professional staffer with the Senate Banking Committee, found long lines but no improprieties as he worked for Obama and other Democrats at polling places in Silver Spring yesterday morning.

He has participated in Election Day activities before, but it's never been like this.

"Oh, my gosh, the turnout has been amazing," he said during a midday break.

"I've never seen turnout like this," he added. "People are patiently waiting in lines, but the lines are snaking around the building. People are jazzed up."

Orringer took a vacation day to coordinate Democratic poll workers. One of the things they look for is the turnout numbers provided at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. If the numbers are lower than expected, he said, the party "can deploy what they call 'flushers' to known Democratic houses to get out the vote."

That was not the case yesterday.

"If I remember correctly, the turnout at some of these precincts just at 10 a.m. was larger than the entire turnout in 2004," Orringer said.

An enlightened federal policy for employees encourages them to turn out and vote for their bosses. The policy provides workers up to three hours of excused time off to vote at the beginning or end of the work day. Acting OPM Director Michael Hager declined a request from Reps. Tom Davis (R-Va.) and James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) to extend that to five hours.