90-year-old Minnesota election judge retires after 60 years
Gerry Zachmann, 90, has served as an election judge in Minnetonka, Minnesota for 60 years. (Gerry Zachmann)
MINNETONKA, Minn. (FOX 9) - For the last 60 years, Gerry Zachmann has not only been going to the polls, she's worked at them as well.
"I became an election judge because I was from a very patriotic family and I wanted to do something for my country," said Zachmann.
Zachmann has worked at polling places in Minnetonka, Minnesota for everything from school board to presidential races that included John F. Kennedy and native sons Hubert Humphrey and Walter Mondale. She said one of the busiest days at the ballot box was when Jesse Ventura ran for governor, inspiring a wave of young adults to get involved in the political process for the first time.
“The year Jessie Ventura won - every young person who had never voted,” said Zachmann. “We were swamped with new registrations and it was exciting to see that many people new people register."
Most recently, the 90-year-old has been initialing, counting and issuing ballots to voters at Immaculate Heart Catholic Church in the suburb's precinct 1A, but Zachmann says after six decades she is calling it quits.
"I'm 90. I don't have a car. My daughter has to take me there. I can't drive. I just thought it’s enough - I'm slowing down. It's enough," she said.
"I've never known anybody who's been an election judge that long - 20, 30 years is a long time. 60 years is pretty much unheard of," said Steve Rabens, a lead election judge.
Zachmann says volunteering to be an election judge was simply fulfilling her civic duty and when citizens do that democracy itself is the winner - in a landslide.
"I'm just encouraging anyone who cares for their country to vote, but to be an election judge - try it," she said.