coworker gives me praise I don’t deserve, employer asks if applicants are registered to vote, and more

by Alison Green on February 19, 2025

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. Coworker keeps giving me praise I don’t deserve

When I got my current job a year ago, I filled a specific niche that they really needed. For the first few months, I was making a ton of new content for the organization, and making edits to existing content. Some of this was honestly low-effort, but because no one knew anything about my field, I was getting high praise for just about anything.

Then after those months, requests for new content trickled down and I only had to make edits every once in a blue moon, so I shifted to doing more administrative parts of my role. Eventually I got to a point where there’s not much else that needs to be addressed and my required workload is fairly light. I’m not complaining!

Now, though, the busy season has started up for me again and I have a coworker who I love working with, but she gives me so much praise I feel I don’t deserve! Example: She requested help with some content I had made last year, and gave me insight that I had overlooked a feature, so I made a simple change to a piece of content I had made and apologized for not including the option originally. She responded with a gushing email saying it’s super fine, I’m so busy making so much content with requests left and right, etc.

But I’m not! And this is a common theme with this coworker; anytime she has a request, she assumes I’m super busy because when I first started and had a backlog of content to make, I was. But most of the year I was not busy, and I just feel so awkward when she says things like that. Minor problem, I know, and maybe it’s not a problem really at all. But I’d like some advice!

One option is to just let it go. It’s not a big deal that she’s super gushy. But if you really feel uncomfortable with it, you could say, “Truly, I have plenty of time for work like this and I’m happy to do it.” Or even, “Our content is in a good place right now so I’m not spending as much time on this stuff as I was originally — and I really like doing it, so don’t ever hesitate to ask me to help with it.”

If she keeps gushing and assuming you’re swamped after that, so be it. You’ll have attempted to set the record straight and don’t need to keep explaining. At that point you can shift to, “Always happy to do it!”

2. Can employers ask if you’re a registered voter?

Yesterday my husband asked me That Question: “Is this legal?” I offered to email you and he agreed.

Husband is retired and saw that a local campground had part-time openings for the summer, mainly being on-site and available to guests. The application, along with more typical questions, asks, “Are you a registered voter and if so where?”

Background: Our area is rural and the small, touristy town that operates the campground has a Resort Board, two or three homeowners’ associations, and probably a local taxation district — which always seem to be feuding with each other and/or the mayor.

What worries me is that they might want to see proof, like his voter ID, which has his party affiliation. The vast majority here are both Republican and ardent supporters of the current administration/regime. Husband isn’t either one (neither am I).

Is it legal for a potential employer to ask if you’re registered to vote and where? In any case, what should he answer, or should he leave it blank? If it comes up in an interview, any suggested responses? (I did tell Husband I thought it might be a legal but possibly unwise question.)

They can legally ask if you’re registered to vote, but it’s an odd question and I’d want to know why they’re asking. There are some positions that specifically set out to hire locally, or are required to hire people who live in a certain county or township, but they typically just ask if you’re a legal resident of X; voter registration is a whole different question.

If your husband is interested in the job, he might as well go ahead and apply and either leave the question blank or answer “yes.” If he advances in their interview process and they ask anything more about it, he can respond, “Why do you ask?” and see what they say. You’re allowed to do that with intrusive or surprising questions in interviews! When you apply, you’re not committing to lay bare anything the employer might inquire about; you can push back, ask why they’re asking, or decline to answer. There may be consequences to doing that, of course, but if the alternative is that he doesn’t apply at all, I’d say he should throw his hat in the ring and see how it plays out.

3. I’m being ghosted by my current employer — can I tell my team why I’m leaving?

I’ve been a contractor to a start-up for three years doing projects for a particular team. After their manager quit on short notice, I agreed to be interim team manager. Legally I’m an hourly contractor but functionally I’m an employee. While I was clear I didn’t want this role, I said I’d do it temporarily because I believe in the company. After much back and forth without any path out of the manager role, I quit (with my next gig lined up for 30 hours/week).

My boss’s boss asked me if there was any time I could spare and I agreed to 10 hours/week in a different role related to the team (an analyst, not the daily operational support to the team) since they can’t afford to hire full-time. He said he’d get the contract to me ASAP, and then … crickets the past three weeks.

My manager contract ends in two weeks so I had to tell my team I’ll no longer be their manager and vaguely said I’d be moving to another role internally. My direct boss really doesn’t know what’s happening so he hasn’t communicated to me or the team.

I’d understand the decision to reneg on the 10 hours/week offer since they may not have the funds or the need, but there’s no communication at all. I’ve checked in politely a couple times on Slack, and just set a meeting on my boss’s boss calendar called “contract check-in.” I don’t want to assume I’m being professionally ghosted and am continuing my duties, but all signs point to it. If that’s the case, can I just tell my team that’s what happened? Otherwise they won’t realize it’s goodbye, or will think I’m just flaky.

It’s a small industry and I’m tempted to work for their direct competitors with all the industry knowledge I’ve gained from this company, which is more a spite move than anything else. If I were truly spiteful, I’d pursue through legal means since they’ve done “hidden employment” and really should be paying into my government’s payroll taxes. I know spite is never the answer but boy am I tempted! My boss’s boss thinks he’s invincible and I’d just like to take him down a peg personally. Financially, I’m FIRE and moving out of the industry anyway so I don’t see any real repercussions here.

Yes, you can tell your team what’s going on; you don’t need to just disappear one day without explanation. The professional way to do it is to keep it neutral but factual (i.e., don’t sound bitter about it, even if you are): “I’d agreed to manage the team short-term but not as a long-term solution. My contract for that work is coming to an end on (date) and we’d discussed my staying on in a part-time analyst role, but from what I can tell, it doesn’t look like that will be happening, so as things stand right now I’m planning for my last day to be (date).”

Also, it’s not spiteful to hold a company to its legal obligations! There can be political considerations that complicate that, but give real thought to pursuing the pay you’re entitled to.

4. Can I ask a full-time job if they’d consider hiring me part-time?

Is it ever okay to email an employer to ask if they would consider hiring a part-time candidate for a position advertised as full-time?

This particular company is hiring on a “continuing basis” (it’s a support staff position), and when I have been there they typically have three or four people working at a time. Is it ridiculous to contact them and see if a 40-hour position could be made 20 or maybe even 30?

And if they say no, would that affect my chances if I decide I do, in fact, want to apply for full-time?

Sure, you can ask. They may or may not be open to it, but there’s nothing wrong with asking. When you email, include your resume so they can get a better idea of whether you’re someone they’d consider it for.

Even if they say no, it’s unlikely to harm your chances with that employer in the future, although if you do decide to apply for full-time work there at some point, they might want to probe into how committed you really are to full-time (to make sure they’re not setting up a situation where they hire you full-time but you quickly ask to move to part-time).

5. When should I tell prospective employers I won’t need health insurance?

I’m taking my retirement from the federal government after 26 years of service, which includes health insurance. I’m only in my late 40s so I’m searching for a new job outside of government. At what point in the application/interview process do I mention that I don’t need health insurance? Thanks to the annuity, I don’t need to have as high pay as I did while working for the government. Not sure how to convey that while also not shooting myself in the foot.

It shouldn’t come up until the offer stage, at which point you can explain that you won’t need health insurance and ask if they offer a credit for employees who don’t use their plan. Some companies do (typically as a separate line item in your benefits, not just added to your salary) and some companies don’t — but it’s more of an administrative item to raise at the offer stage, not before that.

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{ 266 comments }

{ 266 comments… read them below or add one }

  1. Panda*

    When we canvassed before the election, the party paid for the county registration roll which shows your party affiliation. So the hiring manager may know someone that has access to that information- not exactly how it’s supposed to be used.

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    1. curious*

      I’m curious as to whether the state LW1 (‘s husband) lives in bans discrimination on the basis of political affiliation. I understand some, but not all, states do.

      Reply ↓
    2. Ms. Elaneous*

      OP 2 Campground job –
      This is a retirement job, yes? I would probably leave it blank or just answer yes.
      And if I weren’t hired, I might actually be a pest to their local HR or whomever supervises them.
      It’s a sleazy question.

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    3. Successful Birthday Rememberer*

      I refuse to discuss politics with anyone. I tell people that I may or may not agree with them on something but I am not discussing politics with anyone for any reason. He could go that route and say that yes he’s registered to vote but won’t discuss political proclivities as a matter of personal policy.

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    4. KitKat*

      You can look up any individual voter’s affiliation for free, in my state at least. All it requires is full name and the correct state.

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      1. AnotherOne*

        yeah, I’d say if for some reason OP and hubby are concerned about it- they could have a conversation about whether voting in a given political party primary is really important to them.

        I grew up in an area where essentially one political party held every local gov’t role so at least one of my parents were always registered that party, even though it didn’t align with our family’s political or social viewpoints. It was viewed as a necessity because the election was decided in the primary.

        The November election just made the results of the primary official.

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    5. greenfordanger*

      I knew that Americans have to register to vote but I didn’t know that they had to identify a party. Do they have to? What happens if you vote for a candidate not connected to the party you’re registered with? I just googled this but didn’t come up with a clear answer as the assumption seems to be that you register with a party and vote for that party’s candidates. And what is your voter ID? Is it a card with your picture?

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      1. Love Teaching History*

        Government teacher here! You aren’t legally required to register for any political party, nor are you required to vote for candidates of your registered party. Voter ID refers to any government-issued ID, commonly a driver’s license.

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      2. Nightengale*

        In some states you have to identify a party to vote in the primary, and the primary ballot only includes people from that party.

        A, B and C are running as Democrats and D and E are running as Republicans. As a Democrat my primary ballot would only include A, B and C.

        A wins the Democratic primary. E wins the Republican primary. All registered voters can vote in the general election, which will be a choice between A and E. I can vote for E if I want to.

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        1. rebelwithmouseyhair*

          So if I understand correctly, if I’m registered as a Dem, I can vote in the Dem primary and not in the Rep primary, because both parties can see whether I’m registered with them?
          This makes sense. I always thought just anybody could vote in any primary, and wondered why the Dems didn’t all gang up and vote strategically so that the worst Rep candidate was chosen (and vice versa of course).

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          1. Nightengale*

            It depends on the state, some have open primaries.

            Of course also I could register as a republican and try to sway the republican primary to better help my actual desired democratic candidates. I don’t do this but some people do.

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      3. Shopgirl*

        Some states have a closed primary to vote for the candidates that will be eventually on the main ballot. For those you have to declare a party and you will only get a ballot with your party’s candidates. It’s to prevent any sabotage from the other side.

        In the general election though ballots are secret and will have all the candidates from every party listed.

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    1. Ann O'Nemity*

      I am struggling to think of any legitimate reason that an employer would need to know if a candidate is registered to vote.

      Reply ↓
      1. MassMatt*

        The only legitimate reason I can think of is if the campground depends on public money and they want their employees to be politically engaged with keeping the budget. But that’s a really iffy case. Political discrimination seems at least just as likely.

        Don’t know of any voter ID cards in the my state nor others I’ve lived in but some states may be issuing. In my state (MA) we get a confirmation of registration info but it’s not an ID.

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      2. Ana Gram*

        The only thing I can think of is working for the election board and, honestly, that’s a stretch. Plus they’d just check the rolls and wouldn’t bother the candidate about it.

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    2. WillowSunstar*

      I’d be extremely wary of applying for a job like that. I’ve had to pretend to like certain candidates in the past because a boss was adamantly pro-candidate, and it was exhausting. But I had just been hired on from being a contractor, and I’d been a contractor for a long long time before that and hated it. Only did it to pay the bills.

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  3. Pete*

    Asking whether applicants are registered to vote isn’t inherently illegal, but it’s very, very dicey. Hearing the question in an interview as a candidate is a major red flag about the interviewer’s professionalism.

    It *is* illegal in the US to discriminate based on citizenship – as long as someone has the legal right to work in the country (through citizenship, permanent residency, a visa, etc), then the only legal reason to base employment decisions on citizenship is if there’s some bona fide job requirement in play. For example, if someone is applying to work in a position related to national security, it’s legitimate to say “this position is only open to US citizens who hold or can obtain .”

    But, that’s almost certainly irrelevant for a campground job. In that context, voter registration is basically a close proxy for citizenship, which is something a bit like family status or pregnancy: not illegal to know, and not even explicitly illegal to ask about, but a very touchy subject for discrimination. From an interviewer’s standpoint, it’s better not to ask or even know, because not knowing someone’s exact status shuts down a lot of potential avenues for discrimination.

    The only appropriate question along these lines is, “are you authorized to work legally in this country without sponsorship?” Anything else is a serious red flag.

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    1. Person from the Resume*

      I don’t know. I feel like it’s more likely trying to figure out party affiliation.

      It’s an odd question that’s digging for something; although, I’m not sure what.

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      1. MigraineMonth*

        Yeah, but it doesn’t actually ask about party affiliation. It seems like if you wanted to discriminate against someone for their political party, you would either:

        1) Do the work of typing their name and address into a website to look it up; or

        2) Take the easy route and ask on the application (assuming it isn’t illegal in that state).

        The hybrid route seems an odd choice.

        (Or, you know, look them up on social media like most people do.)

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        1. KitKat*

          If the employer attracts seasonal employees they wouldn’t know which state to look up. I’m imagining an RV park where people come to work & live for a few months.

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    2. Miss Demeanor*

      In most US jurisdictions, whether you are registered to vote is a public record, which means it can be obtained by a public information request. In my jurisdiction, our voter registrar has the voter registration list available for search online. This also is allowed by our state law.

      If your jurisdiction requires you to declare a party affiliation to vote in a primary or when registering to vote, that party affiliation is public to under public information laws. What is NOT public is for whom you actually voted in an election.

      As for positions filled by local government, some jobs are considered “political spoils” and allow the elected officeholder to fill them with supporters as long as the applicant is generally qualified. (Elected city and county clerks, I’m looking at you.) Additionally, some positions — for example, election administrators — will ask employees not to party affiliate or vote so as to allow the office to be truly independent. This, too, is legal in the US.

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      1. Pete*

        This isn’t about whether it’s possible to get the information, it’s about whether it should be done.

        There’s lots of information which is often very easily available, but which still needs to stay out of hiring discussions without a very good reason. Race and visible pregnancy are two examples. If a candidate in an interview has a visible baby bump, it doesn’t take a public records request to see that information, but it would still be a major issue for an interviewer to raise the subject even obliquely. Same thing for a candidate’s race, symbols of faith, and so forth.

        The other situations you’ve described fall into the “bona fide requirements” category. It’s perfectly reasonable to talk about pregnancy and family plans (within certain boundaries) for a job that works with teratogenic chemicals, religion if pork products are a major and non-obvious part of the job, or even race if you’re casting a lot of theatrical productions. But those are all very specific situations, and they only come up when there are good reasons to discuss an otherwise off-limits area.

        So, the professional standard is to deliberately avoid discussion of any information that’s legally irrelevant to someone’s candidacy, including very obvious proxies like voter registration for citizenship or “what you like to do on Sunday mornings” for religion. Someone violating those standards, even unintentionally and without any deliberate bad faith, is showing a major gap in their understanding of professional standards. In other words, a big red flag.

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        1. fhqwhgads*

          Right, I think the point is: if this employer wants to discriminate on that, they can do so by looking it up themselves without asking. Nothing stopping them. That they are bothering to ask in the interview process – and thus make it obvious they want to use this info in the hiring decision – whatever their motivation – is especially dumb on their part.

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      2. CheeseHead*

        In my state, the primaries for all five official political primaries are printed on the same ballot, and you can vote in whichever you like. However, if you vote in more than one party’s primary, your entire vote is nullified. There’s a four-part test to determine whether or not a write-in candidate is counted, which includes the question “Have any of the candidates on the ballot died in the last 14 days?”

        It’s fun. When I give voter instructions during the primaries, I have to stop myself from adding, “Good luck!” when I hand the voter the ballot.

        Reply ↓
        1. AnotherOne*

          honestly that’s smart cuz i’ve definitely been a poll watcher that included a poll worker explaining to a voter (that she privately knew and was clearly exasperated with) that Candidate A had died and what was he doing.

          Not my district so I had no clue what any of it was about.

          But I did manage to not laugh.

          Reply ↓
    4. Concerned possible voter*

      That was my immediate thought. There are people who can work in the country but can’t register to vote, and this would work as a sneaky way to filter out some non-citizens.

      It may also catch felons who wouldn’t be able to vote but they would likely know that from a background check.

      It’s not illegal on its face, but it sure sounds like a run-around to me.

      Reply ↓
  4. Metal Gru*

    Letter 5 – don’t need health insurance. What’s the “play” in mentioning it early (LW asked about what point in the application, interview process) before receiving an offer? Is it to convey “I don’t need health insurance so it will be cheaper for you to employ me than if you went with someone else”? The answer refers to potentially receiving extrs money in place of the insurance though, so now I don’t know.

    Reply ↓
    1. Person from the Resume*

      Yeah! It shouldn’t matter. It shouldn’t give an applicant and edge over someone who needs insurance.

      But to be fair, someone retiring in their late 40s has probably only worked for the government and doesn’t have a lot of experience interviewing outside of it.

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    2. Smithy*

      My interpretation would be that the OP had been making $X amount per year, and based on their federal retirement benefits would now be fine if they made less than $X. They’re worried that a potential employer might assume they would want pay on par with what they previously made, and rule them out as a candidate.

      I may be wrong, but I think that some of these assumptions and worries may be tied to how federal hiring works where things like your salary/federal pay history are very transparent through the hiring process. And so within the federal system going from $X to a position that paid 25% less would raise questions along the hiring journey that you might want to address upfront.

      Outside of the public sector, there’s a greater ability to not have to share your previous salary – and if you apply for a job where the range is in that 25% less range – then just saying that you’re happy with the salary range is good. Saying that you’re open to the lowest salary in the range and won’t need health insurance won’t necessarily make you more competitive, but you also don’t need to include a preamble that yes this would be a pay cut, but that’s ok because of XYZ.

      Reply ↓
        1. Smithy*

          I have some friends who are federal employee lifers – and some of their “non-fed” job questions often strike me as so cute, because they’re all very reasonable and thoughtful within their world. But outside of federal employment don’t work the same way, and have the potential to include questions that make a lot of sense to them but don’t make sense outside.

          I could be reading the OP wrong, but that’s what my initial interpretation of the question was.

          Reply ↓
          1. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

            My dad was career postal service from the 60’s to the early 00’s and boy howdy, he has some interesting ideas of what having a job is like. Also, he and all of his friends are in their 70’s and 80’s and white men, so some of their job hunting experience was literally, “I walked into a manufacturing plant and asked for a job. They said yes.”

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    3. Midwest Manager too!*

      I would also recommend not mentioning anything about not needing to be paid as much as you were in your last job. Compensation should be tied to the market wage for the work, not how much money you need to live on. Of course, there are countless examples from this site of employers considering a person’s monthly expenses when deciding if they should get a raise – but that’s not OK.

      Reply ↓
      1. MigraineMonth*

        Agreed, though of course general “cost of living” should be part of calculating the market wage for the work. If the value of doing certain work isn’t enough for a human to survive on, you need to either 1) decide it’s not worth doing/find a workaround, 2) find non-human workers to do it, or 3) reassess the value (since it’s both necessary and cannot be done by machines).

        This is why I support the minimum wage being raised to a livable wage; otherwise the lowest wages are artificially depressed by government assistance to the poor.

        Reply ↓
      2. RunShaker*

        thank you for saying this. I came here to point out that LW needs to be paid market rate for their skills. It doesn’t matter how great your retirement/health benefits are. Who knows what is going to happen. LW do not sell yourself short.

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        1. doreen*

          I’m not sure the OP is talking about being paid below market rate – market rate is usually a range and it’s possible the OP just wants to figure out a way to explain why they are willing to accept the $57K in the middle of the range instead of holding out for more. Especially if it’s easy to find out that the government job paid $125K – individual public employee’s salaries are often available online.

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    4. So they all cheap-ass rolled over and one fell out*

      Very few employers are going to consider the relatively small cost of insurance when deciding which candidate to hire.

      Very very few employers are going to be willing to pay extra to offset the cost of foregone insurance. The exception is a formal scheme where you get paid out some fraction of the insurance cost as a separate pay amount that you stop getting if you enroll in the insurance; in that case the scheme will be listed in the benefits information.

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      1. MigraineMonth*

        US employers are expected to spend an average of $15,000 on health insurance per employee this year unless they shift more costs to employees (according to business.com). In expensive areas it’s probably several times that.

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        1. T.N.H*

          Sure, but you wouldn’t hire an employee based on that, especially because their insurance situation could change at any time.

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          1. So they all cheap-ass rolled over and one fell out*

            Yes, the problem is that it’s hard to make it so the employee can’t just change their mind. Even for $15,000 a year (at most, since you have to subtract the stipend, or the change in value of going with the next best candidate) most employers are probably not going to jump through the hoops and legal risks of creating a one-off contract with the prospective employee that prevents them from signing up for the health insurance later.

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            1. So they all cheap-ass rolled over and one fell out*

              I mean, one problem is that. Alison has other articles about why you generally shouldn’t try to make yourself a more attractive candidate by offering to accept lower compensation.

              Reply ↓
    5. fhqwhgads*

      The only reason to tell the employer you don’t need it outside of actually doing the paperwork is if you’re hoping to get a stipend instead. So it makes sense to me the answer mentions that.

      If you’re not aiming to get some money because of it, it doesn’t need to be a conversation at all. You just check the No box when you’re doing the paperwork with HR.

      Reply ↓
    6. learnedthehardway*

      I don’t think it can hurt to mention it, but it may not be helpful, either.

      I have candidates mention their lack of need for insurance or other benefits to me sometimes, and it’s always with the idea that the employer may be willing to pay more.

      However, the employer is usually NOT willing to go outside their compensation band or to increase the salary because the person doesn’t need benefits.

      For one thing, the compensation bands are created to be a package, and to be equitable across functions and levels in the organization. HR won’t want to go outside the band in one dimension by omitting another area of the comp package – that risks perceptions of inequity.

      Comp packages are somewhat standard for a reason. Also, if HR lets one person do it, they’ll have others who demand it – which is a real headache to manage. Not to mention that the precedent means people who really DO need their benefits would decline to have them in order to have more cash compensation, leading to chaos when they/their families have health crises.

      Also, HR negotiates group benefits for ALL employees – in a small company, the number of employees makes a difference to the rates the company can get from the insurer (so HR doesn’t want to omit anyone). In larger companies, there’s a negligible cost savings to eliminating any one individual (so the company won’t pay extra for a person who doesn’t need benefits).

      The only times I’ve seen employers be willing to take out benefits and pay more in cash is if the company is willing to hire the person on a temporary contract (which the employer may not want to do), or unless the role is super senior (where the compensation bands are very wide and flexibility is more important).

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      1. KitKat*

        I think this is important context for the OP to understand Alison’s answer. The company *may* have a program that provides a stipend to employees not using insurance, but they *very likely would not* offer a one-off compensation change based on it, for the reasons you listed. FWIW the stipend thing isn’t that uncommon, I have received it in the past, though my last 2 employers have not offered it (I guess you get to save your premium, so in a scenario where there is no option with $0 premium that’s sort of like getting money back?)

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        1. AnotherOne*

          yeah, my employer doesn’t offer it. (i didn’t know this was a thing but i live in an area where some people have spouses that work for pharmaceutical companies and apparently they have very good insurance. ‍♀️)

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    7. NotAnotherManager!*

      The tone I get off the whole thing is that the decreased cost to the employer – not needing to subsidize healthcare or higher pay – is that they thing being cheaper will make them a more attractive candidate. I get it, but it’s not an approach I love. Pay and benefits for the job should be market and consistent, not the minimum an employer can get a way with paying each individual employee. It is a plus if the employee gets some sort of compensation for declining benefits, but I’ve never seen that actually happen.

      I don’t use my employer-sponsored coverage because my spouse is (at least for now) a federal worker, and their much larger risk pool has always offered a better value for our family than my much smaller private employers.

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    3. Dog momma*

      You can take that insurance and use it as secondary coverage, or vice versa if you’re afraid you’ll lose that Fed benefit. But that’s an HR question as how/ when to do that

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      1. Magpie*

        You wouldn’t need to take the company’s insurance immediately to cover potentially losing federal insurance down the road. In most cases, you’re allowed to start using your company’s insurance coverage outside of the open enrollment period if you have a qualifying event, like losing your existing insurance coverage.

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    5. Ally McBeal*

      Yeahhh that was my very first thought. I would not be so quick to assume I’d still be covered by this time next month.

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    6. No HealthcareForMe*

      I’d just like to note that this potentially applies to anyone who thinks they’ve got healthcare retirement benefits. My last employer stopped providing that to both future retirees and current retirees who had been receiving that benefit.

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    7. Calamity Janine*

      this was exactly what i was coming to also say.

      and i am saying this as someone who is disabled and gets the majority of her medical insurance that way. SSI is unconnected to your retirement benefits, and supposedly should be protected by that – and i am also absolutely making plans on how to cope if i suddenly have that reversed.

      you also may want to keep this to yourself because even if your insurance isn’t taken away completely, it may be significantly weakened in utility in some way. having two insurances might be beneficial to you, too, as you may be able to address gaps in coverage that either exist now or may exist soon.

      Reply ↓
  6. DrMM*

    Can they be using the voting question as a subtle way to check someone’s citizenship status? If you answered no would they assume you’re an illegal immigrant? I live in a very red state and I can see some small companies around here using a question like that as a way to discriminate.

    Honestly, that’s about the only reason I can think of for someone to ask that question (unless it’s a political organization or a non profit that’s encouraging people to vote).

    Reply ↓
    1. Seamyst*

      Someone could be in the US legally as a permanent resident or on any one of several visa statuses and still not be able to register to vote – or, of course, they could be a US citizen and just never registered to vote. Not registered to vote doesn’t automatically mean, or even imply, being an undocumented person.

      Reply ↓
      1. Clisby*

        Yeah, and it would seem *very* odd to me if they’re using it as a proxy for citizenship/legal residence. It’s not like it’s unusual for people to have to prove they’re legally in the US to get a job – the employer’s supposed to require an I-9 form with documentation to show they’re eligible to work here.

        Reply ↓
        1. UKDancer*

          Yes. It would be very odd in the UK as well. I mean not everyone who can work here can vote here. My company always checks people have the right to work in the UK (because we can get fined significantly by the Home Office otherwise so proving this is very important). I’ve a number of EU citizen colleagues who have the right to work but can’t vote. Likewise in the past I’ve worked in Belgium and I had the right to work there but did not have the right to vote in all the elections.

          So I’d definitely think it strange in the UK to use the one as a proxy for the other.

          Reply ↓
          1. KateM*

            I’m a citizen of one EU country living in another EU country, I have all the same rights as citizens of this country except when it comes to voting for parliament (I can still vote on local elections).

            Reply ↓
          2. londonedit*

            The thing that’s blowing my mind is this idea of ‘party affiliation’…I mean, yes, here you can be a member of a political party, but that’s not shown on any sort of electoral roll (that only shows your name and address, and you can opt out of the details being public anyway) and there’s no way to find out who anyone has specifically voted for. That just seems so incredibly odd to me. You don’t ask who people are voting for. And yes it’s definitely not a clear-cut thing because plenty of people with the right to live and work in the UK don’t have the right to vote in UK elections.

            Reply ↓
            1. bamcheeks*

              Registration is closer to being a member of a party in the UK. It gives you the right to vote in the primaries for that party, but doesn’t necessarily mean you vote for that party in elections. We don’t really have any equivalent!

              Reply ↓
            2. Lily Rowan*

              In the US, you can find out a person’s registration, party membership, and whether or not they voted, but definitely not who they voted for, just FYI.

              Reply ↓
              1. Some Words*

                Depends on the state. In Minnesota one doesn’t have to declare a party affiliation to vote in regular elections. Possibly required for primaries though.

                Reply ↓
                1. Fierce Jindo*

                  No, Minnesota has open primaries. You just have to pick only one party to vote in the primary of. Doesn’t matter if you’re registered in a different party.

                2. metadata minion*

                  I’m pretty sure you don’t have to declare a party affiliation to vote in the general election in any state — or at least, they all have an option of independent/no party.

                3. Clisby*

                  SC doesn’t have registration by party, either. That applies to primaries as well – we have open primaries, so you can vote in either the Republican or Democratic primaries (not both). The publicly available voter information shows which primary you voted in, but that’s not a perfect indication of voter affiliation, since it’s not uncommon for a voter here to vote in a primary different from his/her party affiliation. (For example, in 2012 Barack Obama ran unopposed so there was no Democratic presidential primary. I voted in the Republican one.)

      2. PhyllisB*

        Yep. I have a grandson who’s been in prison since he was 17 so before he was old enough to register to vote. Unless our state changes the law, he will not be allowed to vote when he’s released, so I’m assuming he couldn’t register either.

        Reply ↓
      3. MigraineMonth*

        It could be an attempt to illegally discriminate against all non-citizens (including “documented” immigrants with green cards, visas or TPS status).

        As you said, though, it would also rule out the large number of US citizens who aren’t registered to vote (or who haven’t re-registered at their current address).

        Reply ↓
      1. Athersgeo*

        The only thing I can think of relating to the WHERE you’re registered to vote is maybe prioritising locals for jobs? Or wanting someone who lives with X distance of the camp ground, maybe? But I can think of better ways of doing that.

        Reply ↓
      2. Tippy*

        Yeah the where is what’s throwing me. The only thing I can think of is maybe possible recruitment into the local dominant party??

        FWIW, the LW could always say they lost their voter id card. I have absolutely no idea where mine is (I don’t think I’ve seen it in a couple of years) and since I vote by mail I’ve never needed it.

        Reply ↓
      3. learnedthehardway*

        If the company wants to know where the person is located, they can ask for proof of address in another way – eg. a utility or phone bill.

        Not that they should – but some employers really want to ensure that their employees are local – esp. if they have to work on site.

        Reply ↓
      4. doreen*

        My guess is that the “where” is because the town that operates the campground only wants to hire people who live in the town – and they believe (for whatever reason) that voter registration is the best proof of residence. If so, I disagree with them about that but utility bills and car registrations are not good indicators in some areas – I’ve known a number of people who have utility bills and car registrations in Pennsylvania or Florida or Georgia because it’s cheaper to insure a car in those places where they have a second home than it is to insure in in NYC where they actually live.

        Reply ↓
    4. Antilles*

      I doubt it, because if their concern was about whether someone is legally allowed to work in the US, they could just ask that directly, no need for a subtle side attempt. That’s a very common and normal thing to ask.

      Reply ↓
      1. Sneaky Squirrel*

        Yes, there’d be no need to ask to weed out illegal immigrants because most companies abide by form I-9 policies which has a process to screen for that anyways. Form I-9 work typically gets filled out within the first few days of work.

        However, I’d be concerned that asking about voter registration is an attempt to weed out non-citizens who are legally allowed to work such as permanent residents, people on asylum, non-immigrants with valid work authorizations. It’s legal to ask if someone is eligible to work in the US, but it’s actually not legal in the interview stage to ask if someone is a citizen barring some legal requirement, like a job that requires a clearance.

        Reply ↓
        1. Observer*

          However, I’d be concerned that asking about voter registration is an attempt to weed out non-citizens who are legally allowed to work

          That sounds possible. So stupid and self defeating.

          Reply ↓
      2. fhqwhgads*

        Right, but there’s no logical reason to ask what they asked the way they asked it in the context of an interview. So it makes sense people are wondering if it might be an (poorly executed) proxy for something else. And even if it isn’t intended to be, pointing out that using that info as a proxy for something illegal to discriminate on (such as national origin), is worth mentioning that – whether that’s what they’re actually doing or not – makes it a dumb question to ask.

        Reply ↓
    5. Mockingjay*

      Just about every employer, even mom and pop businesses, does I9 verification for citizenship or legal status.

      The question is a subtle (not really) way of trying to hire a like-minded individual without blatantly violating discrimination laws. I’m in a purple state (urban: blue, rural: red) that skewed red in the last election and variations of this question pop up in many interactions. I’m in a scenic mountain area with many campgrounds that have full-time RV residents that vote red (see: bumper stickers, Gadsen flags, and sigh, Confederate flags flying proudly by their campers). I’ve met some of the residents and if you steer clear of politics, they’re pretty nice – most are retired and want to spend their days flyfishing or strolling the less-strenuous mountain trails.

      Advice: OP’s spouse can apply if he chooses. I recommend adopting a noncommittal approach to any political questions.

      Reply ↓
    6. WestsideStory*

      Yes in my blue city it’s common to require a valid drivers license as a way of screening for citizenship status. But not really sensible as it’s a city with a solid public transportation system and many younger (entry level) applicants don’t have cars.

      Reply ↓
      1. Emily Byrd Starr*

        If you don’t have a license because you don’t drive, a photo ID will work for government purposes. You can get one at the registry of motor vehicles.

        Reply ↓
        1. Observer*

          Is that universal? I remember when you could not get a “non-driver’s ID” in NYC. I used to use my passport, but they tend to be expensive. And I actually had people claim that *only* a driver’s license is “valid” id, and “What do you mean you don’t have a driver’s license?!” This, in NYC.

          It’s been decades since that has changed, but I wonder if it’s universal.

          Reply ↓
      2. metadata minion*

        Are they using it as a way to screen for “the government has issued you a legal ID”? Because I’m a citizen and I have a state-issued ID, but it doesn’t authorize me to drive. I call it a pedestrian license if I’m feeling snarky. And for that matter, non-citizens can get driver’s licenses.

        Reply ↓
      3. The Gollux, Not a Mere Device*

        Also because you don’t need to be a citizen to have a drivers license: you just need to be living here legally. That includes people like students on temporary visas, or green card holders whose citizenship applications are working their slow way through the bureaucracy.

        That rule as stated does effectively (if not intentionally) discriminate against blind people, and people with some other disabilities.

        Reply ↓
      4. MigraineMonth*

        That’s bizarre. You don’t have to be a citizen–or even documented in some states–to get a driver’s license, and many citizens don’t have driver’s licenses.

        If they’re trying to screen for *legally allowed to work in the US* (rather than US citizenship), that’s what the legally required I9 form and the E-Verify system is set up for.

        Reply ↓
      1. BlueCactus*

        You can use both insurances, and it can end up being helpful to have dual insurance – one may pay for a medication while the other one won’t, for example. Not usually worth it to pay for it, but in situations like LWs if they’re required to be dual insured there are some benefits.

        Reply ↓
        1. NotAnotherManager!*

          In my experience, though, what usually happens is that both companies end up pointing at the other one as the responsible party for coverage. Coordination of benefits with multiple plans (at least in the US) tends to be a hassle for the insured.

          Reply ↓
          1. Strive to Excel*

            I ended up dual insured for a while due to divorced parents and it was a paperwork PITA. Helpful in getting things covered, but good lord. Neither I nor any of the poor clinic admins I ever went to had any idea which to apply when.

            Reply ↓
    2. A Book about Metals*

      Really? I’ve never heard that. You mean some employers can legally force you to pay for their insurance even if you don’t want or need it? That seems like a bad idea

      Reply ↓
      1. Ann O'Nemity*

        I’ve only seen this happen when employers cover 100% of the premiums – and even then it’s more likely for long-term or short-term disability insurance, not health insurance.

        Reply ↓
      2. Statler von Waldorf*

        Bad idea or not, I know 100% for a fact that it is legal in Canada to force employees to take part in a group benefits plan. My certainty is due to being involved in a legal case regarding this exact issue, and I heard it from the judge’s mouth myself.

        The case I was involved in had the employer and employee splitting the premiums 50-50.

        Reply ↓
  8. VP of Monitoring Employees' LinkedIn Profiles*

    There are some positions that specifically set out to hire locally, or are required to hire people who live in a certain county or township, but they typically just ask if you’re a legal resident of X; voter registration is a whole different question.

    If the employer got tax breaks or other subsidies from a city or county for job creation, or has a contract with a public agency, then it may have to give hiring preference to local residents.

    Reply ↓
    1. bamcheeks*

      Is voter registration a normal way to do that, though? I’ve just run a very annoying and finickety programme for people living in specific local authorities, and we just did it on their address, specifically the postcode. We didn’t need to cross-reference with the electoral roll or anything like that.

      Reply ↓
      1. Lady Lessa*

        Besides, not everyone who is eligible to vote has registered. One of my co-workers isn’t and because of that I feel a bit more comfortable in talking about political things to him. (Not that it happens a lot, because I think that only the Board of Elections should know. They have to know because we are paired Democrat-Republican in every position)

        Reply ↓
      2. Tippy*

        No. Where I previously worked at we had certain positions that had to reside locally, they just had to provide proof of home address.

        Reply ↓
      3. Antilles*

        No, voter registration isn’t a normal way to check for local residency because it’s not an effective way of screening for local residency. You could be registered elsewhere and not updated, you could be in some quirky gerrymandered district that puts you in the next town over, you could be a resident who just doesn’t vote.
        If they cared about local residency, they’d ask about local residency directly and/or use your home address as you mentioned.

        Reply ↓
    2. LaurCha*

      You can live somewhere and not be registered there. It’s easy enough to prove residence. The voter registration question is verrrrry loaded.

      I moved to my current location just before Covid and it was just way too much trouble to get a new drivers’ license during lockdown, so I didn’t get that taken care of or register to vote for nearly a year after I lived here. But I could easily have provided proof of residence.

      Reply ↓
  9. Holly.*

    Letter 1 – I expect it’s due to your coworker remembering what the situation was like before you came on board, and is so grateful that there’s now a competent and timely person getting things done! :-)

    Reply ↓
    1. Be Gneiss*

      I recently picked up some responsibilities that we weren’t able to make into a full time role, but that were adjacent to role I was hired for. I feel like I’m doing the bare minimum, but they are so excited to finally have someone doing *something* on the project that I get praise like this. I say “Always happy to help” and file it away for performance review season.

      Reply ↓
      1. Slow Gin Lizz*

        I got a lot of praise like this at my last job and a lot of apologies when boss or grandboss asked me to do something tedious. But I actually really enjoyed doing a lot of the tedious tasks and whenever they’d apologize I’d be like, “Are you kidding? I loooooove doing this, please don’t apologize!” I don’t remember if the apologies stopped but I do remember grandboss never stopped telling me, on every call, that I was doing “a fabulous job” and that was more tedious to me than the supposedly tedious tasks were. It was just her little tick, something that I suspect is the only thing she picked up from the anger management training she was required to take after she kept yelling at a different employee.

        Another thing for OP to keep in mind is that the coworker might think the tasks take you a really long time to do and thus are difficult for you to get done since she thinks you are “swamped,” so she really has no idea that they are actually pretty simple. So you think she’s thanking you for something as simple as holding a door open for her but she thinks she’s thanking you for shoveling an entire parking lot after a blizzard. I dunno if this helps but, maybe, changing your mindset might make a difference in how annoyed you get at this? And I totally get it, because, as mentioned in my previous paragraph, I really don’t like being overly thanked for simple things either.

        Reply ↓
      2. MigraineMonth*

        I had this experience too. There was a project X that had been stuck in development hell, and it looked like it was going to be another couple of years before it could be completed. Coming from the outside, I couldn’t understand why this was the case, since it seemed so similar to completed project Y. It turned out that we could, indeed, tweak project Y and rolled out the project six months later.

        The client insisted on taking me out for drinks (I chose root beer), because she’d been waiting *seven years* for project X. She didn’t care that I hadn’t actually done that much new work, just tweaked project Y. I’d delivered X after only six months of work, therefore I was a wizard.

        Reply ↓
        1. Jack Russell Terrier*

          It’s the knowing that counts. You had the knowledge and insight to do this – it saved the client a lot of money.

          Just like with ‘face time’ the time something takes to do isn’t always how valuable it is. I think we underestimate things that seem ‘easy’ or ‘obvious’ to us.

          Reply ↓
    2. Miette*

      IMO OP can file these reactions under “happy customer testimonials,” because that is what they are :)

      I know it may feel odd to accept praise when the effort has been minimal, but as a marketing person, my expertise/field is so often devalued by others that it’s always such a breath of fresh air to have an enthusiastic ally. Unless you get a vibe that this person is being disingenuous, I hope you can learn to enjoy the fact that you’ve made someone’s day by being good at what you do.

      Reply ↓
      1. Slow Gin Lizz*

        “I hope you can learn to enjoy the fact that you’ve made someone’s day by being good at what you do.” I need to learn this myself! Thanks for the idea!

        Reply ↓
    3. Tio*

      This.

      I’m in compliance, and when I moved into my new company, who hadn’t had a dedicated compliance-specific person for my area of regulation, I was able to make some changes that, to me, were very small, simple changes, but VASTLY improved their processes and responses times on these areas, because now there was someone who knew the answer there to do it without seventeen back and forth emails while they tried to interpret things. We also got better visibility into our areas of compliance through setting up a government portal account, and things are overall much better and smoother in this area. For me it wasn’t hard things, but remember, you’re doing work they don’t know and can’t do themselves! They appreciate that, the way I appreciate the IT guy who codes our tools, because it takes him five minutes to patch something whereas I would be crying on my keyboard if I tried to do it!

      Reply ↓
    4. Her My Own Knee*

      I stepped into a role like this once. It was weird to have people fawn all over me doing my basic job. It made me realize that not everyone even does the bare minimum. I just accepted the thanks and moved on with my day.

      Reply ↓
    5. ArtsNerd*

      Yes, please remember that the *effort* may be nominal but the impact isn’t! I’ve been on both sides of this. A big part of the value you and I provide is the expertise that makes these tasks so easy for us.

      I’m currently realizing that many of my current coworkers assume that I must be slammed at all times, when really there’s an ebb and flow. Coworker requests are usually “nice to haves” so when I’m busy they get triaged out, but I absolutely want to be available to them when things are a bit slower. I’m still trying to figure out how to communicate that when our internal comms isn’t great for less formal messages.

      Reply ↓
    6. LW 1*

      I think you’re right! I’m just an awkward person, some people are interpreting that I’m annoyed or that she seems disingenuous. I’m not annoyed and she’s definitely being truthful! I just feel a bit awkward because I came from such a different place, it was so high-tech and here is so low-tech.

      It’s true that I need to remember that they didn’t have anyone with the ability to do what I do, and I’m actually getting stuff done they couldn’t until now.

      I like Alison’s wording for responding going forward :)

      Reply ↓
    7. Lisa Simpson*

      This reminds me. I had a job where people would say to me, “Thank you for coming in today!” for my normal scheduled hours. I found it deeply offensive! Why are you thanking me for showing up when scheduled? Are you saying that I’m the sort of person who can’t be trusted to show up?

      Anyway once I worked there for awhile it became apparent that being unreliable was a norm there. People calling in at the last minute, showing up very late, not showing up at all, announcing they were leaving for vacation a day in advance, asking for their Birthday Month off, etc., and the folks who showed up as scheduled were in the minority. It was pure chaos.

      Reply ↓
  10. Cabbagepants*

    In order to vote in their primary, I am a registered member of a political party I do not (otherwise) support. Primaries usually have much less turn out than a general election and I would rather use my vote to knock out the most horrific candidates rather than selecting one (from my usually-preferred party) that I like the most.

    Reply ↓
    2. You Are Not Alone*

      You are not the only one. I know of many people who do that, as voters whose party is in the minority in their district, the majority party always wins so they are registered as the majority party and vote in that primary.

      Reply ↓
    3. Blue Cabbage*

      I did that once. I voted for who I thought was the least reprehensible.

      He is and was completely vile. Just in different ways.

      Reply ↓
    4. Tippy*

      Same. Also since my area is so heavily one party, if I wasn’t in this particular party I wouldn’t be able to vote in local elections (at least not to a degree that actually matters).

      Reply ↓
      2. Clisby*

        +1. We have a crazy number of state/local officials who run by party. Our county clerk of court, county probate judge, state treasurer, state auditor, … the list goes on. It’s also a very red state so if I want significant input in who’s running I need to vote Republican.
        I do not do it as a spoiler – I vote for the best of the choices.

        Reply ↓
      3. UncleFrank*

        Same here — my whole local government is pretty much decided in the primary, so if I want any say in it (which I do!!) I have to vote there. Sometimes there’s a state-wide/national race I’d like to vote in the other primary for, but my husband and I usually split the difference when that happens!

        Reply ↓
    5. Slow Gin Lizz*

      I also usually vote in the primary of the party I definitely don’t support. In my state I can remain unenrolled and do that and continue to stay unenrolled, though (different from “Independent,” which is actually a party). But once when I was living in the town I was teaching in at the time, the primary poll worker was the parent of one of my students and I felt terrible about asking for a ballot from that party. I wish I’d thought to explain myself, but I honestly think she probably forgot about that interaction immediately, whereas I am still thinking about it approximately 17 years later.

      Reply ↓
    6. Jax*

      I live in a state that does not ask, never mind require, you to declare a party affiliation to register to vote, which I much preferred to living in a state that did (and I found myself involuntarily on seemingly every mailing list for any party-related organization or candidate in the state).

      So I looked and there are apparently 18 states where this is the case — no declaration of party affiliation to register to vote (and some variation of an open primary system where you choose which primary you want to vote in). That could change the cast/tone of whatever is happening in the OP’s question, it genuinely might have nothing to do with party affiliation.

      Reply ↓
      1. MigraineMonth*

        The real 4-D chess is when you vote in another party’s primary for the most terrible candidate because you think they aren’t electable and your party’s candidate will beat them in the general election. Sometimes political parties will meddle in other parties’ primaries, too, in hopes of knocking out a strong incumbent or similar.

        THIS IS A BAD IDEA. A lot of Democrats thought it was great that Hillary Clinton was going up against such a weak and unelectable Republican candidate. It turns out that when you vote for the most terrible candidate, you risk them winning.

        Reply ↓
    8. Jaunty Banana Hat I*

      Yes, this!
      It can also be helpful when you’re making regular calls to whoever does get elected to complain about the current admin, because they are more likely to listen to people they think are voting for them (even when you didn’t in the general).

      Reply ↓
    9. schmoop*

      I vote in the primary of the party that I know will win. That way I get to vote in the “real” election. I’d do that in any state with a basically one-party government, be that Washington D.C. or Idaho.

      Reply ↓
  11. Account*

    #4–

    I’m a nurse and I’ve only ever wanted/had part time jobs. They’re never advertised that way, though! I am just clear in my cover letter and application that I am looking for around 24 hours a week.

    Occasionally I do get an interview with someone who doesn’t know that (either they didn’t read thoroughly, or the person interviewing me is not the same person screening etc). Those interviews have been short, because I mention it early, and then sometimes they say “Oh… well, we don’t really hire people for less than full-time.” And then I say Thank you very much and we just end the interview amicably. In your case, you could just say “Okay! I’m also open to FT, I just thought I’d ask.” If you’re a good candidate, it won’t tank your application.

    So yes, go for it! Some of the jobs I’ve had have NEVER had a part time employee before, but they liked me and figured that 24 hours is better than zero.

    Reply ↓
    1. Alice*

      Yeah, I work four days a week and none of my jobs have ever been advertised as less than full time. I always ask fairly early in conversations with recruiters and I would say about half the time I get a no straight away and the other half they say they’re open to it. 30 hours may be an easier ask than 20 though – several times people have said ‘oh that’s not really part time, is it?’ and certainly I get almost the same amount of work done as I would in 37.5.

      Reply ↓
    2. metadata minion*

      Huh, I wonder if this varies by field. Part-time library jobs are very common, but they’re pretty much always advertised as part time and you can’t normally negotiate a full-time job to part-time or vice versa. I can see that making more sense as a thing to do when hiring nurses at a major hospital than where you need exactly 12 library staff and don’t want to count on someone else wanting the other half of a job if someone only wants part-time work.

      Reply ↓
    3. The OG Sleepless*

      I applied for a job that was 4 days a week when my kids were in high school, and I just said I would prefer 3 days a week if that was possible. They didn’t bat an eyelash and hired me for 3 days a week.

      Reply ↓
  12. Scarlet ribbons in her hair*

    “they might want to see proof, like his voter ID, which has his party affiliation.”

    I’ve been voting for over 50 years, and I never had a voter ID. If I were still working, and if I applied for a job and had to prove that I was registered to vote, I don’t know what I’d do. How common are voter ID cards?

    IMHO, asking if applicants are registered voters is just a sneaky way of asking if they are USA citizens.

    Reply ↓
    1. Lynn Whitehat*

      Every state does it differently. Texas has voter registration cards. They get mailed to your home every two years.

      Reply ↓
      1. Hlao-roo*

        Yeah, from a page I found on USA.gov, voter registration cards typically include:

        – Name
        – Home address
        – The address of the polling station where you will vote
        – Your party affiliation if you listed one on your registration

        In my state, I don’t need to bring my voter registration card to the polls, it’s more of a helpful reminder to me of what my polling station address is. But if I were ever required to prove that I was registered to vote (and show where I was registered to vote), my voter registration card would be the easiest way for me to do that. I think that’s probably what the letter writer was referring to with “voter ID.”

        I’ll link to the page I quoted in a reply to this comment.

        Reply ↓
        1. Scarlet ribbons in her hair*

          I registered to vote in New Jersey, and I still live in New Jersey, and I never had a voter registration card. And I vote in all of the elections and all of the primaries. I guess no one in New Jersey gets asked to prove that they are registered to vote, because I certainly wouldn’t know how to do it.

          Reply ↓
          1. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

            In my state, we’re sent registration postcards with our info on it- our name and address (since it was sent in the mail) and our polling place. I’m not registered with a party, so that’s not listed, but might be for people who are registered with one. I’ve never even thought of taking it with me to vote- I have to show my driver’s license, but I have that with me at all times anyway, so it’s not a big deal.

            Reply ↓
          2. metadata minion*

            I’m in Massachusetts, and we don’t have voter registration cards, but when you go to vote your name and address is checked against a list of registered voters in that precinct.

            Reply ↓
          3. Anne of Green Gables*

            I live in NC. We do have voter ID cards, but I’ve literally never taken mine to the polls, and I vote in every election, primary, and run-off, even those that are only local elections.

            If I were asked to prove that I was registered to vote, I would go to my state board of elections page. There you can look up a voter by name and county. That shows my polling location, all my various districts (congressional district, city council district, etc) and a list of every election since I registered to voted and the method by which I voted–by mail, early voting, or on election day. It does tell you party affiliation, but not who I actually voted for.

            Reply ↓
        2. Pay no attention...*

          California — I don’t think I’ve ever had a separate card issued, but when I receive the Voter Information Guide (all of the candidate statements and propositions) and Sample Ballot for every election, it usually has my name, address, registration information, and polling location printed on the back. I don’t think I’ve ever been asked to present that, but I do tend to bring the booklet with me when I vote for my own reference. My polling location has been changing almost every year despite me living in the same place.

          Reply ↓
      2. Some Words*

        Likewise in Minnesota. The cards are mailed to us. We never have to present them to anyone though. Really it just serves to confirm that your registration is complete.

        Reply ↓
      3. Lyudie*

        North Carolina does as well. I don’t think I’ve ever had to show mine to vote, but I take it with me just in case it’s needed.

        Reply ↓
      4. umami*

        Oddly, my spouse and I had to register in our new county to vote for this past election. I received my voter registration card, and he never did. I was able to verify that we are both registered online – they have a voter registration search. It does not show party affiliation.

        Reply ↓
    2. Delta Delta*

      Might also be a way to find out if someone is a felon, as in most states (most, not all), felons are not permitted to vote. Not every state allows asking about prior criminal records, and if this is such a state, this might be a way around that. Not great, but it’s a thought.

      Reply ↓
    3. Gray Lady*

      Yeah, people don’t typically keep them around. In my state, you have to show it the first time you vote after registering or changing your address, and after that, there’s no use for them. I’m quite sure I couldn’t produce one.

      Reply ↓
    4. Person from the Resume*

      It’s mailed to me every so often (maybe 4-6 years). It’s more of a reminder of my ward and precinct.

      I never bring it to vote. They have my name on a roll. They validate that my driver’s license matches my name on the voter roll.

      Reply ↓
      1. Clisby*

        Yep, that’s how it works in SC. They also validate that the address on the driver’s license matches their records. I don’t know whether it would matter if you had just moved to a new residence in the same precinct, but if the driver’s license showed I lived in a different county I’d have to jump through some hoops to actually get my vote counted.

        Reply ↓
    5. PhyllisB*

      I don’t know about other states, but my voter registration card doesn’t list party affiliation. Along with name and address it lists my precinct for voting.

      Reply ↓
    6. Tarpeters*

      I don’t necessarily disagree with you, but every job application I’ve ever filled out has asked if I’m authorized to work in the US and once an offer is made, the I-9 process will confirm whether the applicant is a citizen or a resident alien. (I was a green card holder for my first 15 years in the US.) I suppose a job could want to sneakily filter between citizens and green card holders, but if someone was going to attempt that, I suspect they’d be much more likely to auto-reject all resumes with foreign/“ethnic” names?

      Reply ↓
    7. Cabbagepants*

      American companies have the right — scratch that, they have the *legal obligation* — to confirm that their employees have the right to work in the USA. They have no need to be sneaky about it; they are expected to check immigration documents by the first day of employment.

      Reply ↓
        1. Cabbagepants*

          It’s a response to this part of the parent comment:

          “asking if applicants are registered voters is just a sneaky way of asking if they are USA citizens.”

          My point is: they have no need to be sneaky.

          Reply ↓
    8. LaurCha*

      Voter ID usually refers to a legal ID that confirms you’re the person who is registered to vote. A lot of jurisdictions do send out voter registration cards, but they’re not really IDs as such.

      Reply ↓
    9. I'm just here for the cats!!*

      There are states that require voter ID cards and you to be a registered member of a party to vote.

      Reply ↓
      1. Lady Lessa*

        In Ohio, the ONLY time that a party registration is asked is during the primary elections. That way you get access to the correct ballot. And by requesting a specific party’s ballot, you change or verify the identification.

        Reply ↓
      2. TX_Trucker*

        In Texas you must show acceptable identification in order to vote. These include:
        *Texas Driver License from the Department of Public Safety (DPS)
        *Texas Election Identification Certificate from DPS
        *Texas Personal Identification Card from DPS
        *Texas Handgun License from DPS
        *United States Military Identification Card containing your photograph
        *United States Citizenship Certificate containing your photograph
        *United States Passport (book or card)

        If you don’t have any of these, your voter registration card AND some other type of photo ID may be accepted. School ID cards are never accepted.

        Reply ↓
    10. Seven hobbits are highly effective, people*

      In my state, which is entirely vote by mail and has been for decades, they occasionally mail out voter registration postcards. (Either when you change something about your registration, such as your address, or they change something about your voting districts, like when they redraw districts after the census.) Mine has name, address, political party or lack thereof (closed primary state, so it matters for which ballot they send you), and which districts you’re in for things like state house rep. It might also have my precinct number on it, but I’ve never, ever needed to know that because we don’t even have assigned in-person polling locations and haven’t since before I was old enough to vote. (You can go fill out your ballot in person at the elections office if you want to, I think, but the default process is mailed ballots and I’ve never had a reason to want to do it differently. I usually drop mine off at the library ballot dropbox and then check out a book as a post-voting treat.)

      Basically it’s a “this is the information we have about you that we’ll use to send you the right ballot based on where you live and party affiliation” document, but I wouldn’t call it an “ID” because it doesn’t have anything like a picture or description. To use an analogy with driving-related documents, it’s more similar to my auto insurance card than my drivers license in terms of what kind of information is on it.

      I’ve never needed mine for anything, but I give it a skim whenever I’m sent a new one to make sure that they still have my records correct and see if any of my districts changed without me noticing. Then it goes in the “theoretically important government papers file” in case I ever need it for something, but I never have.

      Reply ↓
    11. doreen*

      Depends what you mean exactly by “voter ID card” . I got a driver’s license sized ID when I registered 40 something years ago – which I probably haven’t seen in at least 30 years. The people in the comments who are talking about getting a card every 2,4 whatever years – I think they are talking about something similar to the post card I get every year telling me election dates, my polling place, the hours and my guess is that those are very common.

      Reply ↓
    1. E. coligist*

      My state issues voter registration cards, but we do not have to designate a party affiliation when we register to vote.

      Reply ↓
    2. Magpie*

      I live in Missouri and before each election, we receive a voted ID card in the mail. Years ago, we were meant to bring this card to the polls so the poll workers could look us up on the rolls, but now that photo ID is required to vote there’s not much point to the voter ID anymore. It serves as a reminder to vote since it lists the election date and polling place, but it doesn’t really function as an ID anymore.

      Reply ↓
    3. hummingbird*

      My state has a voter registration card with no picture. Has name, address, affiliation (or non affiliated) and poll location.

      Reply ↓
    4. Delta Delta*

      My state only requires that you speak your name loudly and clearly to the person checking the roll. I always just show my license because I don’t feel like screaming my name at the elderly poll volunteer.

      Reply ↓
    5. Nola*

      I’m an election commissioner and my state issues a voter registration card every two years or if there’s a change to a person’s address, district(s), or voting location. It’s to inform the voter WHERE to vote and to let them know what districts they’re in. It’s mailed to the voter’s registered address in the summer before every Federal election (the elections held in the November even numbered years where you vote for President/Senators/US Representatives). It’s not needed to actually vote.

      Reply ↓
      1. London Calling*

        It’s bad enough being asked for your voter registration at the door by canvassers even before you get into the polling station. Here’s a little hint, people – I don’t hand over my name and address details to randoms demanding it. Yes, I know you want to know if I’ve voted so before the polls close you can chivvy me into doing so in the hopes it will a vote for your party, but that’s a you problem.

        Reply ↓
      2. fhqwhgads*

        It’s not really an ID. It’s more like a confirmation of your voter registration, and thus confirms the things you registered as. In most states, it would just be called a “registration card” and the word “ID” never comes into it. In most states it’s also not anything you’d ever be expected to show to anyone.

        Reply ↓
        1. London Calling*

          In the UK it shows your name, address, voter reference (for the people handing out the voting slips), date of election and location of polling station. There’s no requirement to show it if you don’t want to, but some people don’t realise that.

          Reply ↓
    8. Head Sheep Counter*

      Yes.

      In most cases, a California voter is not required to show identification to a polling place worker before casting a ballot.

      However, if you are voting for the first time after registering to vote by mail and did not provide your driver license number, California identification number or the last four digits of your social security number on your registration form, you may be asked to show a form of identification when you go to the polls. In this case, be sure to bring identification with you to your polling place or include a copy of it with your vote-by-mail ballot. A copy of a recent utility bill, the sample ballot booklet you received from your county elections office or another document sent to you by a government agency are examples of acceptable forms of identification. Other acceptable forms of identification include your passport, driver license, official state identification card, or student identification card showing your name and photograph.

      Further: Thirty-six states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls. The remaining 14 states and Washington, D.C., use other methods to verify the identity of voters. Most frequently, other identifying information provided at the polling place, such as a signature, is checked against information on file.

      Reply ↓
  14. Pretty as a Princess*

    #5 – you don’t need to at all. You can just opt out of health insurance. Your HR function might require you to provide proof of other coverage at that time (we do) but there’s no need for this ever to come up in an application/interview process.

    Reply ↓
    1. Sneaky Squirrel*

      I’m wondering if the applicant is asking as an attempt to use it as a negotiation tool? But many companies would not alter their offer on the basis of not needing health insurance. Its typically treated as a use it or lose it perk and most staff can’t guarantee that they’ll never use the health insurance in the future anyways.

      Reply ↓
      1. Big BaDaBoom*

        In my experience they’ve not talked about it not as a perk but as a benefit and part of our compensation. (E.g. we contribute x to your insurance coverage as part of your total compensation package.)

        So I’d understand wondering if compensation for a job might differ or be negotiable if you knew you would not be receiving that part of the package.

        Reply ↓
      2. anotherfan*

        fwiw, i opted out of my company’s health insurance for most of my career since my husband’s policy was much better. It wasn’t a big deal, i just had to provide proof I was covered by somebody. For about a decade, I would get paid a stipend for opting out, but that was in the 1990s; for the past quarter century, it was just “not” a charge on my paycheck. Once my husband retired, I opted into my company’s health insurance. My company didn’t think it a big deal and probably wouldn’t have even considered it in hiring since I wasn’t the only person who opted out or eventually opted in.

        Reply ↓
      3. doreen*

        They wouldn’t alter their offer but some employers do allow people to opt-out of coverage . Mine paid a stipend of $1000 for opting out of individual , $3000 for family. But it was separately listed, not included in salary and could easily be removed if someone chose to take the insurance later. The reason my employer offered this was that family coverage cost my employer about $25K a year .

        Reply ↓
  15. Am I Wrong?*

    I thought party affiliation is public record (if registered), no? When I’ve Google myself or others, it comes up along with the person’s address and age.

    Reply ↓
    1. Hlao-roo*

      You’re not wrong as far as I know. But there is a difference between that information being generally “out there” for someone to find if they chose to look it up, and handing a person a piece of paper that says right on it “Party affiliation: [Party X/unaffiliated].”

      Reply ↓
    2. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

      Fun fact- you can set up an alert with Google to notify you when your personal identifying info is shown in Google results and request them be removed. It’s like Whack-A-Mole because new sites keep popping up all the time, but it’s handy if you don’t necessarily want your info out there.

      Reply ↓
  16. Lynn Whitehat*

    The voter registration person probably isn’t thinking about it that deeply. I volunteer with the League of Women Voters, and we do a lot of work registering people to vote. Once in a while, we get a person who is a little too excited about “registering people out in the community, anywhere you already go”. Especially lately, there is a lot of focus on “relational organizing“, where you are encouraged to interact with people you already know.

    Odds are good that they are just a little too excited about registering people to vote, and never thought about what a sensitive question it is in the context of applying for jobs. Also, voter rolls are public, including party affiliation, so they could look it up if they really wanted to know.

    Reply ↓
    1. LaurCha*

      I think you’re being awfully generous here. Anyone who hires regularly should know to tread carefully with personal questions. Getting excited and trying to register someone while they’re interviewing for a job? Is all kinds of over-reach.

      Reply ↓
      1. Lynn Whitehat*

        Maybe they should, but tons of people don’t get training before they start interviewing candidates, and ask all kinds of stuff they shouldn’t. Someone hiring part-time seasonal workers at a local campground sounds like the kind of person who wouldn’t have gotten any training. I also liked the suggestion someone made that it could be an effort to save good jobs for locals in a touristy area.

        Good advice from Alison to give a little gentle pushback, “why do you ask?” Maybe bad faith, maybe just thoughtless.

        Reply ↓
        1. fhqwhgads*

          But the letter says it’s on the application form, not just something a single-maybe-overly-excited person who has no experience hired asked in the moment. If it’s on their application form all applicants are asked to fill out before even talking to a human, that suggests organizationally they think this is both a good idea and somehow relevant, when it is not.

          Reply ↓
  17. Jay*

    About Letter #2:
    The poster specified that this is a “small and touristy type of place”. I’ve worked in those places and those roles before, when I was much younger.
    It might be nefarious in the current case, however, these types of places usually attract people who move around a lot. Usually young people working “tiny salary plus room and board” type jobs in order to be able to stay in the kind of places they ordinarily would never have the opportunity to live in.
    Some of the businesses in these areas will very specifically hire locals before anyone else, in the same way that they will often give discounted prices to locals. It’s a way of sticking together and protecting your neighbors.
    By asking where they are registered to vote, they are finding out where your REAL home address is, where you REALLY live. This lets them weed out people who are living there for a while, but not putting down roots. For instance, I had a library card when I lived in the Florida Keys. I got my mail sent to wherever I was staying at the time. But I remained registered to vote in my home state.
    This question would have let the employer know that I was not really a local, even though I had lived there for a couple of years by that point, and had worked for several different people.
    It can make life difficult for outsiders, but places like this tend to have so few opportunities for good, long term, well paying, non seasonal employment that I really can’t fault them for giving preference to their neighbors.

    Reply ↓
    2. Nola*

      I was actually wondering if it’s run by the local (county/city/possibly, state) government and, therefore, the employer is, ultimately, the County, etc. I’ve had friends who held government jobs and one of the requirements was you had to live in a specific location and they were asked where they registered to vote, how long, etc.

      Reply ↓
    3. amoeba*

      I find that really interesting as a European, because it works so differently here – you’re required to register where you live (I mean, not to vote, just… register your address for official communications, local taxes, and the like). And you then automatically vote where you live. You can’t have your registered address in one place and vote in another.

      There are people who remain registered with, e.g., their parents when they live elsewhere temporarily – even though that’s technically illegal! – but in that case you’d just ask where they’re registered, voting wouldn’t come into it at all.

      Reply ↓
      1. UKDancer*

        Same in the UK broadly. You register with the authorities and pay council tax on the property which is your main residence. I’m not sure how it works for people with multiple residences.

        I mean except for students who can vote either where they live or where their parents live (if the two are different) in England (probably in the UK as a whole but I don’t know). When I was at university my university was in a safe seat for the party I supported but my parents house was a marginal constituency between the party I supported and the party I didn’t. So I made sure to get a postal vote for my parents’ constituency so I could vote there. My post came to my student digs of course, but I made sure my voting was at home.

        Reply ↓
        1. Runaway Shinobi*

          “I’m not sure how it works for people with multiple residences.”
          You pay full council tax for both; you can vote in local elections in both but you have to nominate one for general elections.

          Reply ↓
      2. doreen*

        I know it works differently in at least some Europe countries – and I am always fascinated by that , especially since the people I have spoken to make it seem like communication from your doctor or your bank will go to your registered address rather than one you provided. My suspicion is that in large part the difference is due to the overlapping jurisdictions in the US which means lots of people would have to register multiple address in multiple states. For example, I might have to file multiple state income tax returns- would I have to register a residence in each state where I file a return?

        Reply ↓
    4. RLC*

      You’ve articulated what I was wondering: “how can we tell if this job applicant is a permanent resident of our community versus a seasonal resident (AKA are they a snowbird)?”

      Reply ↓
  18. Hlao-roo*

    LW3 – I’m here to second the suggestion that you seriously consider going after your (soon-to-be-ex) employer for misclassifying you! Because you mention that you are financially independent and moving out of the industry anyways, the political risks are smaller for you than they would be for someone else who wanted to stay in the industry and needed a good reference. If you fight the misclassification and win, the company will be less likely to try to misclassify other employees in the future.

    Reply ↓
    1. Starbuck*

      Yes I sure hope they do! Especially if they are in a FIRE position. Way too many employers get away with this crap because it’s too risky to fight them on it. And it’s not spiteful to want them to not break the law and steal money from you (because that’s what they’re doing by shifting the tax burden).

      Reply ↓
      1. MigraineMonth*

        I’m not very familiar with the acronym (Financial Independence, Retire Early), so I first read that as “financially, I’m on FIRE!” and was trying to figure out if that was a very good thing or a very bad thing.

        Reply ↓
  19. ???*

    If this is a public/government run campsite, maybe they’re asking the ‘are you a registered voter’ because they want to know how civilly engaged you are, and how up-to-date you are on the local politics that will affect your job?

    Reply ↓
    1. fine-tipped pen aficionado*

      This can vary so much region to region, but having been in public parks & recreation for a very long time this not something the vast majority of publicly run recreation facilities (which campsites are) would ask or care about for front-facing or field staff. Not impossible, but not the most likely of options.

      Reply ↓
    2. metadata minion*

      This seems plausible, but if that’s what they’re getting at they’re being both too intrusive and not intrusive enough, given how many people only vote in state or federal elections. Someone being registered to vote doesn’t mean they have any idea about local issues!

      Reply ↓
      1. Starbuck*

        Does it?? It seems pretty ridiculous for the campsite positions I’m familiar with. As far as I can tell it’s totally irrelevant and the only reason to ask this in a camp employment context is some bizarre personal agenda.

        Reply ↓
  20. Lacey*

    LW1 – some people just are gushy. All the time.
    I get the impulse to correct it, but it’s just how they are. Say thanks and remember to gush at them when they do you a favor, so they know you appreciate them.

    Other people are gushy over easy things, so they can feel better about being jerks with harder stuff – but I think you’d know by now if you were dealing with one of those.

    Reply ↓
    1. Glad to be Employed*

      I find the ‘gushy all the time’ types to be a little insincere, or that’s how it strikes my ear when it happens. Or that they feel like I somehow need the rah-rah, which I don’t. My approach has been to respond somewhat flatly, thank them or whatever, but don’t act like you especially like all the gushing. I’ve seen it peter out to normalcy when I don’t seem to want the rah-rah.

      Reply ↓
      1. fhqwhgads*

        Yeah, it also sounds insincere to me, even though I know I’ve encountered some people who are gushy like that, not insincerely, just because to them, whatever you did is genuinely difficult/a lot for them personally, so even though to me, I’m like “that took five minutes and is literally my job” to them they’re like “thank glob I didn’t have to be the one to do that”.

        Reply ↓
      2. Melody Powers*

        I felt that a bit when I moved to a place where there are a lot more people whose standard thanks is an effusive “thank you so much!!” than I was used to. I would wonder what they do when faced with something that actually warrants a bigger thank you or if it was the same for everything. I just got used to it and now I don’t really think about it anymore and appreciate the acknowledgement when it comes

        Reply ↓
    2. Daisy-dog*

      Yeah, I work with a lot of gushy people. It was a culture set by a previous director. We use a lot “heart” icons on Teams and used to have a monthly meeting with a whole section dedicated to gushing about each other. One-on-one, it’s no different. So either this person came from a place like mine or they just have that personality.

      I do think it’s worth highlighting that LW1 isn’t that busy anymore, but only to make sure that the co-worker continues to go to them for help rather than saving up issues until they get too big to ignore. Or try to fix it themselves and make it worse – sigh, both things that I deal with.

      Reply ↓
  21. 3-Foot Tall Inflatable Rainbow Unicorn*

    LW5, the last time I brought my own health insurance to a job, I asked them to raise the offered salary by the amount they wouldn’t need to put into the health plan. It’s something worth bringing up in negotiations.

    (On a side note, I miss that insurance plan so badly. Having my own health insurance meant my company couldn’t change providers on me every year.)

    Reply ↓
  22. OrdinaryJoe*

    LW1: Not sure about your co-worker’s previous history at different employers or past employees but at some places and with some people, asking someone to do something extra or different, even if it’s in their job description is almost like asking for a kidney or first born. The praise and almost begging a friend had to do in order to get the office general admin support to do stuff was crazy.

    You fall into the habit of thinking every little thing needs positive reinforcement and praise instead of the nice, normal Thanks!

    Reply ↓
  23. AthenaC*

    Throwing this out there for #2 – not too long ago in my state, not-for-profit organizations could apply for some funding but one of the stipulations was that they have “activities” that would encourage / increase voter registration, even if that had nothing to do with the mission of the applying organization. I wonder if the campground in question had something similar and part of the “activities” they agreed to was to ask all their employees to confirm they are registered to vote and if not, encourage them to register.

    I know it’s a bit of a stretch but I did see this recently and it might explain the otherwise bizarre request.

    Reply ↓
  24. Neither a repub or a dem*

    Canadian here: Why do American voters cards contain a party affiliation? (And does that not defeat the point of a secret ballot?)

    Reply ↓
    1. Pool Noodle Barnacle Pen0s*

      Mine doesn’t. It differs from state to state. Also just because your registration is affiliated with one party, doesn’t mean you’re obligated to vote for that party’s candidate in every election.

      Reply ↓
      2. NotAnotherManager!*

        A certain party currently in power tried to have anyone who voted in their primary (in my open primary state) sign a statement that they promised to vote for the ultimate party candidate and another certifying that they were actually a member of that political party (despite the fact that my state does not record this information with voter registration). It was not well-received, and I don’t think anyone voting in their primary to try to keep the crazy off the ballot cared at all about breaking their “promise” to support said candidate.

        Reply ↓
    2. Resident Catholicville, U.S.A.*

      My state requires a political affiliation to vote in primaries, so I don’t vote in primaries. This just means I get an issue only ballot, no candidates during those elections. It’s different from state to state, so it makes talking about elections in the US in general kind of difficult.

      Reply ↓
    3. Can’t think of anything clever*

      My state doesn’t do voter registration cards or require anything related to party affiliation. In a primary you check in, tell them which party’s ballot you want, fill it out, and insert it in a machine. You might be able to find on line if I am registered to vote and if I voted in certain elections but nothing about party affiliation or who I voted for.

      Reply ↓
    4. Jackalope*

      This is definitely a state by state thing. My state doesn’t do that, so I’m not 100% sure, but my understanding is that if you’re in a state where you can only vote for your party’s candidates in the primaries, you would still generally have multiple candidates to choose from. So anyone who saw your voting card would know which limited list of candidates you’re pulling from but wouldn’t necessarily know which of them you picked. My understanding is also that if you have to select party affiliation that doesn’t keep you from voting for whomever in the final vote, although I’m guessing most people would vote for the candidate from their party anyway.

      Reply ↓
      1. amoeba*

        There are several people here in the comment section who said they’re registered for the opposing party to have a say in their primaries (prevent the worst, basically)! Don’t think it’s extremely uncommon, so party affiliation alone doesn’t really tell you that much about who the person actually supports/votes for, it can also be a strategic thing…

        Reply ↓
      2. Seashell*

        I can only vote for my party’s candidates in the primaries, but we do not have voter registration cards. I’m not sure how the information is available to others, but the mailed ads from candidates seem to be based on party registration.

        Reply ↓
    5. Ann O'Nemity*

      My state holds separate primaries for the two main political parties, each with different dates and locations. Voters can only participate in the primary that matches their registered party affiliation. Since the primaries are separate, voter cards include party affiliation along with the corresponding primary date and location. Our state does not use voter IDs; the voter cards are simply postcards providing information about upcoming voting dates and locations.

      Reply ↓
    6. avaya one-x*

      Voting processes, like A LOT of stuff in America, can very much be a state-by-state operation.

      For example: primary elections–the election where each recognized political party puts forth a few candidates who get the chance to actually run for President and VP. Some states will only let you vote for your registered party’s candidates (it’s called a closed primary). Pennsylvania is one such state (which is a huge deal every primary election since PA has a pretty big effect on the Electoral College for various reasons). If you’re registered as “Independent” in PA, I don’t think you can vote in a primary, because there’s no actual Independent party. Other states don’t care and will let you vote for whatever primary candidate is on the ballot, regardless of your party registration (or if you’re registered as “independent” or a made-up political party).

      Other examples: Some states are more hard-butts about showing photo ID at the polls than others. Some states ONLY do voting-by-mail; others had to be dragged kicking and screaming into that option because of COVID. Some states allow you to vote before the official election day (at least for the presidential election). Other states give you the middle finger if you dare suggest that. Some states (and some counties within a state) have fully embraced electronic voting machines with touchscreens, while others have reverted back to scantron sheets with number 2 pencils and sharpie markers (and it’s not like the scantron sheets with pencils are actually more secure or reliable than the touchscreens. Or that it’s a matter of “this area is richer than that area so that’s why they have the better machines”).

      The whole “well this is what we do in Connecticut*–screw whatever they do in Michigan” way of doing things in the U.S. affects pretty much EVERYTHING in the U.S. and goes a long way to explaining…a lot about the way America is. Sometimes it’s not great** and sometimes it’s actually a good thing. If you’re living in the U.S. right now and your kid has an IEP or anything similar, you’re going to want to be in say, Pennsylvania as opposed to maybe Florida. Because at least for now, there’s a better chance of PA’s education board still making sure those IEPs get followed at school.

      *Substitute whatever states you prefer.
      **reproductive rights :-(

      Reply ↓
    7. Observer*

      And does that not defeat the point of a secret ballot?)

      No. Because it’s perfectly possible to vote not for your party’s candidate. And we *know* that this happens.

      Reply ↓
    8. Zahra*

      Same here. Why couldn’t party affiliation be managed by the parties themselves? Here, you can become a member of a party and thus vote for candidates. For example, our Prime Minister is stepping down. His party (the Liberal Party) will be choosing a new leader in the coming weeks. Anyone who has been a member for 41+ days at time of vote and isn’t a member of another political party (among other conditions) can vote.

      Reply ↓
  25. Pool Noodle Barnacle Pen0s*

    Voter registration data is public record. If this employer wants that information, they can just look it up.

    Reply ↓
  27. TheLoaf*

    LW1, sometimes these gushy thanks are a reflection of the thanker and their perception of the task. I know that I can be overly thankful when I ask someone to do a task I hate/it takes me forever to do. My perception is that the task is terrible and arduous, and I want the person who did it to know that I am so grateful that they were willing to do it for me.

    As someone who has been the recipient of gushy thanks, I sometimes get honest with folks and say like “between us, it’s super easy for me to do X, so don’t feel bad asking!” I’ve found that reduces the over-thanking.

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  28. Sneaky Squirrel*

    LW1 – Being overly gushy might be their version of being overly apologetic. It may be partially unconscious to the thanker, similarly to how people who say sorry too much don’t even realize they’re doing it as much as they do until it’s pointed out to them and they try to break the habit.

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  29. Wellie*

    “ Thanks to the annuity, I don’t need to have as high pay as I did while working for the government. Not sure how to convey that while also not shooting myself in the foot.”

    Do not bring this up at all. Compensation for the role is set based on the value of the work to the employer and generally. It is not set by how much money the applicant needs to live off. Negotiate for market rate.

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  30. Observer*

    #2 – Asked about voter registration.

    The question is definitely weird, and I wonder if the suggestions that they are trying to find out if people are citizens is what is really going on here.

    But I do think that you are catastrophising a bit. Since you mention a voter ID card, I’ll take your word for it that your husband actually has one. But I think that it’s unlikely that they are going to ask to see it in order to fish out his party affiliation. I would answer the question. If they ask for his ID, well, he misplaced it.

    If they push and insist that they need to see it, then it seems that you are in the fortunate position of being able to just not take the job. Which is probably the sanest route. Aside from the fact that you now have some legitimate concerns about their attitude towards people of a different political affiliation, this is just overboard and a bit invasive. Not a job I would recommend to anyone with options.

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    1. Pizza Rat*

      I find it strange as well, and I think checking citizenship is a likely reason. Voter Registration Cards, according to USCIS.gov, are on List B for I-9 documents that establish identity.

      I do get voter registration cards every year from the Board of Elections, but it just has my name, a bar code for poll workers to scan, and my district number. It doesn’t have my party.

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        1. Colette*

          I don’t think it has? Not sure what you’re talking about here.

          Let’s say you pull into a parking lot. The lot is almost empty, and you park your car between the lines. You get out of the car and someone says “You’re great at parking, you didn’t hit anything!” Is that a compliment?

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          1. Daisy-dog*

            I think the situation is more that someone compliments you after the parking lot is completely filled up. They didn’t know the circumstances of your parking.

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            1. Colette*

              I don’t think it matters, because it should be routine to park without hitting anything. There may be rare situations where a compliment is deserved, but in the general case, it’s a normal and routine thing to do.

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          2. amoeba*

            I mean, that’s a possible explanation, but if the coworker seems genuine, I’d much rather assume they just don’t know LW isn’t super busy anymore (especially as they did use to be previously!)

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            1. Colette*

              To be clear, I don’t think the coworker is trying to be condescending – but when you get excessive praise for something routine, that can be how it comes across.

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    2. LW 1*

      At first the compliments felt pretty good when I just started the job and was making big changes, but then I just felt a bit awkward after lol. It’s definitely not coming off as condescending as others say, just want to make that clear. Just me being awkward.

      I have a big project coming up that’ll make a major process easier for a different team, and I (provided I deliver a good product) do expect that they will be very thankful when it’s finished. I’m perfectly fine accepting compliments for that cause it’s such a big deal!

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  32. Toothpaste*

    OP, can felons register to vote where you live? Asking for voter registration might be a way to screen out convicted criminals.

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  33. MouseMouseMouse*

    LW1 — I totally feel you! I don’t enjoy excessive compliments for doing basic work either; it dilutes compliments about difficult, effortful work.

    I’ve come to view over-the-top complimenting as more about the person doing the gushing instead of me. They feel better by heaping on the praise for some reason (they love hyperbole, they themselves are compliment-starved, they’re genuinely clueless about the work, etc etc), so I just do my best to graciously accept the thanks and close out that interaction.

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  34. avaya one-x*

    Peoples, please stop engaging with the troll(s). Just report the comment(s) and move on with your life. A refresher on the comment report process:
    1) Click or tap on the “reply” link under the specific comment(s) to open a new comment box.
    2) Insert a working URL link (it can literally be any URL, it does not matter, just copy and paste any working URL) into the comment box.
    Me personally, I just use Bing’s URL. I figure it’s the only time they ever get any activity, lol.
    2b) You can also add, “flagging the above comment” or whatever. IDK, you do you.
    3) Submit your comment.
    4) Put your computer/phone/tablet down.
    5) Go outside.
    6) Don’t get back on the internet for 24 hours. Life is too short, especially these days.

    Your comment won’t appear on the website because it’s actually been flagged for moderation by Alison. But she’ll also see the troll comment and can then do whatever she wants with it–let it stand, overwrite the actual text with a warning, delete it altogether like it never existed, etc.

    Thank you and have a great day :-D

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    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      Thanks. Reiterating this. Please stop engaging with trolls, even to tell them they’re wrong; the engagement is why trolls return. If you engage, you are ensuring that troll will reappear. That’s their whole point.

      Also, it’s not helpful to send me angry messages about why a comment is still there an hour after being reported. I do sleep and do things away from a computer.

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      1. avaya one-x*

        Also, it’s not helpful to send me angry messages about why a comment is still there an hour after being reported

        Eww it’s gross that people are doing that. I’m sorry that’s happening :-(

        I think that’s where steps 4-6 of my post REALLY become necessary then :-/

        Or like, the time spent sending emails about why a troll comment is still up could have been spent c0ntacting one’s local elected representative about protecting democracy. Or time spent actually getting involved in local issues (which is honestly where real change happens). Or just spending time with loved ones, either offline or online.

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      2. MtnLaurel*

        I’m sorry that you’re getting those messages. Many of us appreciate your work and are glad when you are able to get away.

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    2. fhqwhgads*

      Also, just to elaborate on the whole “working url” thing, since I’ve seen a few failed attempts. You need to include the http. Not just something.com

      Reply ↓
  35. Wilbur*

    “It’s a small industry and I’m tempted to work for their direct competitors with all the industry knowledge I’ve gained from this company, which is more a spite move than anything else. If I were truly spiteful, I’d pursue through legal means since they’ve done “hidden employment” and really should be paying into my government’s payroll taxes. I know spite is never the answer but boy am I tempted!”

    Not a spite move to work for the competition if they can pay you, people do it all the time. The knowledge you gained from your old company wasn’t a gift, it’s the side effect of them needing work done. Work for the competitors, ask for a big raise, and FIRE yourself. You don’t owe them anything.

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  36. Veryanon*

    On pushing back on invasive interview questions: I’ve started to do that a lot more over the last few years. Someone asked me recently when I graduated from college (I am not a recent grad and this is clear from my work history). I asked them politely why that was relevant to the job requirements and the recruiter hemmed and hawed around. You’ve got to call out this crap when you see it, even if it means you lose out on an opportunity. I gave the recruiter feedback that they were alienating a lot of potential candidates this way.

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  37. Sleeplesskj*

    Re #5 – there’s no need to feel awkward about declining health coverage and no need to explain why! Lots of people are on their spouses plans or have alternative plans they’d prefer to keep. All you have to do is check the box to decline coverage. (But DO ask if you would be entitled to a salary credit in lieu of insurance.)

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  38. s*

    For number 3: I am not understanding what the pollical considerations mean. Should it have been “financial considerations linking to another post?

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  39. Thegs*

    RE: LW1, I think something useful to keep in mind that when you have knowledge or skill in a specialized field, to those who are outside the specialization it sometimes really does look incredible how easily and competently you do something. I see my artist friends draw something “simple”, like chibis of our characters on the receipt in the five minutes after paying for dinner, and it’s like magic. Turning nothing into something right before my eyes, it’s miraculous! But to them it’s, “Oh sorry I spaced out because I was so full.” If I tried to draw the same thing I would probably give up in frustration after an hour lol. So it’s of higher “value” and regard to me than it is to them.

    I’m no mind reader, but I think this is what’s going on with your coworker as well. She probably has an idea of how difficult your job is before you got there to those who were lacked your domain knowledge and skill, and that has anchored the level of effort it takes in her mind. When you knock her requests out of the park so quickly (even if you do consider it a normal speed) voila, it’s a miracle as well!

    Reply ↓

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