Zac Garred has seen a lot in his seven years in the US. As an actor, he's familiar with far-fetched plots and loose characters. But the man from Lambton, who spent time working in a polling centre in the recent US election, says the process can be trusted, despite what Donald Trump would have you believe.
She was 94, African-American and voting for Trump.
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She grabbed my arm as she lowered herself in to the seat, firm and in control.
When she turned 18, African-Americans were still 20 years from even being allowed to vote.
I stepped aside as she selected the candidate like she proudly told me she would, a choice that flummoxed me.
This was not the Trump supporter I had expected.
In my time working the polls leading up to America's existential crisis with democracy, I did not see anyone that fitted the brash, obfuscating and antagonistic archetype who dwelled under those red hats.
There were no red hats through my polling centre, no bombast, just people who came in with enthusiasm, fulfilled their democratic right then left with an 'I VOTED' sticker proudly on their collar.
I have nothing in common with anything the Trump administration stood for, I have seen people suffer under it here in Los Angeles.
But as that lady grasped my arm, who she was voting for did not matter.
I was there to help democracy function, and I was proud to be doing it. Then, later that night that very process was under attack.
The person this lady had voted for was calling the process in which she had partaken "the greatest fraud on the American people."
Trump's embarrassing musings galvanized why I enlisted to work the polls, to show that democracy matters to us all.
My grandfather, James Garred, and his twin brother, Eddie Garred, were quintessential Novocastrian, working class men, personifying civic virtues.
Always at the booths, always doing the right thing for their democracy and standing up for the people within it.
READ MORE ABOUT ZAC GARRED HERE:
As I sipped a beer after fifteen hours helping Americans with their civic right, I saw the President of the United States call that process a fraud.
Mates of mine described it as hyperbole, but to Trump it is not.
Democracy is indeed his enemy. The truth is none of this surprises us here anymore which is troubling in itself, we have built a callus to his goading. What did surprise was what we saw as the votes came in.
Anecdotally, I can say that after tabulating the votes at my centre, the amount of votes for Trump took me aback.
In the middle of Los Angeles no less, not exactly what springs to mind when one considers a Trump electorate.
Seeing that, it was easy to understand that 70 million Americans voted for him, however what does require a Cirque-du-Soleil type of mental contortion is the why.
There is not a centrifuge powerful enough for me to separate Trump's manner and conduct from anything resembling a competent leader.
Just take COVID, Trump's abject failure has seen the elderly and African-American populations disproportionately suffer.
The lady I was helping was right in that bracket, yet Trump is how she wanted to vote.
Why? There are some with that centrifuge spinning when they vote.
I do know there are many down ballot Republicans who just stick to their team, others believe his fiscal policies are pragmatic.
Then there are some who just revere him like a despot.
In my partner's home state of Alabama, we know of couples who were split down the middle.
Him for Trump, her for Biden.
And there I was, in the very heart of West Coast liberalism helping someone vote for Trump.
Stores from Santa Monica to Studio City were bracing for a civil revolt, and the night of the election there was a very uneasy air in America.
But, nothing happened.
Saturday, the election was called for Biden and what did happen? Euphoria and dancing in the streets!
This has not solved any of the deep issues in America, but it is a step.
Still, from a golf course, Trump grizzled that democracy had conspired against him. Me as a poll worker being one of the co-conspirators, of course.
Besides personal experience living here, part of my understanding of Trump and this administration comes from the phenomenal work of fellow Novocastrian Matt Bevan, and his podcast RUSSIA, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, a thorough and brilliant analysis of this administration and also the individual.
The term 'turbulent' is an understatement when dealing with Trump, but it is what I think we can expect in the weeks ahead.
We are seeing a slew of misinformation and lies about the electoral process to fuel his loyalists. FRAUD! EVERYWHERE!!! I work in film and television, the idea of the President of the United States attacking democracy in such a hamfisted and idiotic way would see many scripts sent back for a rewrite.
Let me shed some light on this, Ned Zelic and Joe Hockey take your pens out, please!
Tabulating the votes at the end of the night is no different to when I was balancing the till when closing the pub at Speers Point.
You make sure you have every vote for every person who came in.
There is nothing salacious. It is numbers, columns and lots of moistened finger tips as we flick through ballots and, just like balancing the till, if there is any discrepancy it is investigated swiftly.
We had poll watchers present as well. Fully transparent and open just like everywhere else in the country, anything stated to the contrary is absolutely absurd.
IN THE NEWS:
Voting is not compulsory in America, shaking people out of civic apathy is a battle that we do not know about as Aussies. Then there is voter suppression which is a political tactic in some states and districts.
Stacy Abrams, with her adrenalised work in Georgia, has cut through some of the reprehensible action to sever Americans from their right.
When Americans engage with voting it is with an enthusiasm I have never seen before, it is captivating and rousing.
America's democratic process is flawed, yes.
After seven years here I can see that it is even an anachronism at times, but fraudulent like Trump is saying? No, I was there.
My time at the polls showed me that Trump is not America, but is a part of America.
I believe we will get through this, despite his best efforts to subvert democracy.
As I heard the machine cast this lady's vote for him, those thoughts ran through my head.
Then she smiled at me to show she was done, she grabbed my arm and I helped her back to her walker. Ninety-four years old. She was not even allowed to vote in her own country until she was in her forties.
I guess it is fitting that 2020 throws me the most puzzling political engagement I have had in the United States.
We stood poles apart politically but together under democracy, I hope to see her again in four years time and my arm will be there if she needs it.
- Zac Garred is an actor, originally from Lambton, and has been in the US for the past seven years.