The out-of-town volunteer

In 1982, a national organization dispatched volunteers to help female, state legislative candidates who supported the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA).

One of those volunteers was sent to a precinct I managed for Deborah Senn, who was challenging the incumbent in the Democratic primary election in a far north side district.

The volunteer stationed herself outside the polling place and began handing out pro-ERA brochures. I asked her to stop doing that and to distribute Senn brochures, instead. She didn’t.

I asked her again, and she said she wanted to be sure people supported the ERA. I told her our opponent also supported it and that it was not an issue in our race. She continued passing out the pro-ERA brochures.

Then I said that doing that would prompt people to vote in the Republican primary where they couldn’t vote for Senn. She expressed surprise, stating that Republicans were against the ERA.

But the chief ERA sponsor in the Illinois legislature was a Republican who was running for Lieutenant Governor. She seemed confused. She continued passing out the pro-ERA brochures.

Finally, I asked a female Senn volunteer to set her straight. And that worked.