Three Generations: Living Together, Polling Together

Living along the North Shore, it’s hard to ignore the upcoming Recall Election on Aug. 9 between Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay) and Sen. Alberta Darling (R-River Hills). Whether it’s the endless headlines or pamphlets overflowing our mailboxes, people are either eating up or tuning out the political storm.

Election Day, however, is a very important day for one family.  So important, it’s been made a multigenerational family affair.

Phoebe Wechsler, her daughter Linda Settler, and Linda’s daughter Carolyn Settler will be working at the polling site during the Recall Election. Three generations of women with voting values.

“I’m just as pleased as I can be,” Phoebe said. “I realize the values I tried to instill in Linda when she was a kid have stuck. And now she’s teaching those same values to her daughter Carolyn. It really means a lot to me because so many people don’t vote.”

Linda Settler said she and her mother have been working the polling station together since the general election in 2008. Since then, her 19-year-old granddaughter, Carolyn, has joined the women, and although poll workers get paid, it’s something you don’t see every day.

“I’m only 19, so I’m definitely much younger than everyone else working the polls there,” Carolyn said.  “But I get along really well with older people, and I like learning about the candidates, so I really enjoy it.”

The Aug. 9 election will mark the third time Carolyn will join her mother and grandmother at the Fox Point polling station. Phoebe says she loves the attention.

“It’s a lot of fun working on Election Day because it’s busy, and we see a lot of people we know,” Phoebe said. “People say, ‘Oh my goodness, all three of you are here!’”

Not only does the family work together, they also live together.  Phoebe moved to the North Shore from New Jersey about 20 years ago and moved in with her daughter, living together ever since.

Linda thinks her daughter’s interest in the election comes from having a live-in grandmother.

“I think it’s wonderful Carolyn is helping,” Linda said. “She’s always been very interested in history.  I think part of it is my mother has lived with us for 20 years. My daughters have been a little more enlightened because of that generation being in our house.”

However, you won’t see the family carpooling to the Police Department that morning. While Phoebe has opted for a day starting around noon, Linda and Carolyn start the Election Day at 6:30 a.m. and work until around 9 p.m. 

“It’s a long day, but it’s a great way to get involved in something that’s very important,” Linda said. “I feel like I’m doing my civic duty.”