Erin Moody is the communications director at the Supervisor of Elections Office. It’s a position she officially began in mid-January after working in the office since September.
WHERE WILL SHE BE ON ELECTION DAY?
“Last time, when I was a temporary employee with the City, I was involved in the education department, which handles poll worker training, recruiting and staffing. So I took calls from the clerks on election day, and with 285 precincts, the phones are constantly ringing. This year, I’ll be at the media’s disposal.”
WHAT GOALS HAS THE OFFICE SET FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTIONS?
“I think that back in November we definitely ironed out the majority of issues. Things went really well. We do have a high turnover of poll workers, so there is a rebuilding of that base. What it means to be a poll worker is a lot different now than in the past. It’s a different ball game. We have to keep up with 3,000 people who only work twice a year, so it’s an interesting way to manage employees. Education this time around is really important, too. Our training has changed drastically.”
WHAT WILL THE OFFICE DO TO ENCOURAGE VOTING?
The office is sponsoring countywide voter registration programs. They also have a Team Election Awareness Movement (TEAM) board that serves as a liaison between the office and schools, which will be giving elementary school children lessons on voting. The office also finished a commercial with Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Jason Craft. “We’ll also be doing public service announcements on the radio and you’ll start to see print ads soon.”
HOW HAS THE MEDIA REACTED TO HER POSITION?
Before Moody was named communications director, the media often called Supervisor of Elections John Stafford directly. “It was surprising how quickly the media took to me. One of the things you’re taught in public relations is that it can be difficult to get control over an organization’s message, both internally and externally. But the media has given me a lot of respect and it’s been such a relief.”
IS SHE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE DOWNTIME AFTER ELECTIONS ARE OVER?
“I thrive on this. I’m having a blast and I worked really hard to get here so I’m enjoying it so much. In the last election, I thought that after Nov. 5 things would slow down. But there is a much longer wrap-up period than most people would imagine. And getting geared up again for another election takes more time than you would think.”
OTHER EXPERIENCES
Moody did a five-week internship with U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw before graduating in August. “It was great because I got to work directly with his press secretary, and his staff is phenomenal. They were very instructional. I didn’t stuff envelopes, and I can’t tell you how their phone system works, so I think I got a lot out of it.” Moody also worked on Crenshaw’s last campaign before beginning work at the elections office.
FUTURE PLANS?
She plans on staying where she is for at least another four years. “I could definitely see myself in Washington, D.C. again, but I’ve enjoyed working for local politics more than I thought I would. I’m in an interesting place because I’m not tied to the
candidates or to the policies, but I get to watch it all happen. It’s a neat perspective.”
— by Bailey White