Faces of Democracy: Greg Tanner

By Avery Weinman,
HUB Correspondent–

            On Nov. 6 Davis resident Greg Tanner, 51, drove through residential streets with American flags displayed on their front porches like a boy scout’s proudly earned merit badge. Tanner weaved past the houses before lurching to a stop in front of Pioneer Elementary School at 4 p.m.

Tanner got out of his car and strolled past the remnants of school children to enter the music room.

The small room with pasty white walls and one tattered piano plays host to six polling stations and one table manned by a bevy of volunteers.

Tanner greeted the volunteers and made his way to a polling station with the standard issue California ballot.  Prop 30, Measure E, the next President; those were all things Tanner helped decide with the swift strokes of a black felt pen.

Beside Tanner stood beside a group of people that look nothing alike.

To his left was a middle aged woman still wearing scrubs, her hair still tightly pulled back in a severe hospital bun.  To his right was a young woman sporting blue converse and over-sized black hoop earrings, chewing softly on a piece of gum. At the end of the row an older man with a backpack resting at his feet ran his hand though his balding gray hair.

Tanner hands his ballot back to the volunteers and walks out of the music room, back into the calm autumn night where the sun is beginning to lay its drowsy head to the horizon.

On the way out Tanner sees the woman in scrubs walking in front of him. The woman turned around and recognized Tanner as a neighbor.

Tanner said hello. The woman said hello back, and with a smile she said, “It feels good to vote.”

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