Election Insiders

Election Insiders is an entertaining journey into the inner workings of voting, focusing on the people behind the scenes—the mapmakers, poll workers, warehouse crew, signature sleuths and others who do this democracy-defining work. In a lively, reader-friendly narrative, election workers at all levels share the ups, downs and unexpected challenges that make election day tick. Some of their stories are alarming, others are amusing, and many are reassuring. Bilchik’s thorough reporting encompasses more than a year of in-depth interviews and off-the-cuff conversations, examination of public documents, attendance at board meetings and equipment demonstrations, hands-on training, and live election day observations. The result is a one-of-a-kind glimpse into a backstage world that we voters usually don't see, but one that we all depend on to keep elections fair and secure.



About the Author



Gloria Shur Bilchik is an election junkie. A professional freelance writer for more than 30 years, she has published articles on a wide variety of topics, but has gravitated toward election and voting-related stories throughout her career. Since 2010, she has been the editor and a primary writer for Occasional Planet, a progressive political blog. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, she has gained first-hand experience in the workings of elections and political campaigns through a wide variety of election-related activities, ranging from official election-day poll worker, paid campaign staffer, signature gatherer, volunteer on voter registration drives, door-to-door canvasser, to voter-guide proofreader and envelope stuffer.