Harding Hills Hy-Vee

Among ladies of a certain age in Des Moines, Iowa, it’s a divide almost as stark as that between a Republican and a Democrat. There are Hy-Vee girls – those who favor the employee-owned grocer. And then there are Dahl’s girls, those who shop at the Hy-Vee’s smaller competitor.

But it is next to the Harding Hills Hy-Vee where the Polk County Auditor has seen fit to locate an early voting station, smack in the middle of a heavily Democratic neighborhood.

Obama’s Iowa campaign sees the polling place as a prime opportunity to build on their already-impressive lead in Iowa early voting. The numbers are small – over twenty votes in a day is considered a good turnout – but every vote counts.

The Harding Hills Hy-Vee, Des Moines, Iowa

Cora Egherman and I head for Harding Hills to do “visibility” – to stand 300 feet distant from the polling place and demonstrate as loudly and noticeably as possible in support of Barack Obama in an attempt to boost turnout.

We are armed with sidewalk chalk, signs, t-shirts, and our voices. “Register and vote, right here, right now,” I repeat at  passing drivers as they head up the ramp to the Hy-Vee. Many are surprised to learn they can vote without being registered already.

Cora, hoisting a “Honk 4 Obama” sign, gets good responses from the cars on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway. I’m waving a sign advertising that early voting is here, now.

Many we speak with have already voted, they tell us. We thank them as they drive off and beg for honks. We arrived shortly after 5 p.m. and we’ll be staying until close to 7 p.m., when the polls close. Cora and I laugh whenever we get an odd look from a passing driver. We figure they must be Republicans.

Cora Egherman and the Honk 4 Obama sign

The headquarters staff  has pressed for more  demonstrating at Harding Hills. At the beginning of the early voting period, they drove past the Hy-Vee several times a day and complained whenever they couldn’t see a Democrat beating the drum for early voting.

Your correspondent hectoring passing vehicles

The field staff keeps a shared Google spreadsheet with a list of Harding Hills volunteers for every hour the polls are open. With their energy and enthusiasm, the campaign kids are a natural fit for the job but it’s hard to track down parental permission.