Deaf person elected as Selectperson in New Hampshire
Alex (The Daily Moth): A deaf person named Jules Good was elected as the Ward 4 Selectperson in Somersworth, New Hampshire last Tuesday during the 2021 elections.
Here is an interview with Jules.
[Begin interview]
Alex: Hello, Jules Good! You were elected as the Selectperson in a small town in New Hampshire called *Somerset. Can you explain more about the position of a Selectperson and why you decided to get involved with that position?
Jules Good: Yeah. So, a Selectperson’s role has three things in it. The first is to help create an easy and smooth election process. The second is to help people to register to vote. And the third is to select the voting locations. It could be different schools, libraries, and places like that for election sites.
Alex: I understand. So you pick the right places for people to go and vote. Like you will say, “that school” or “that library.” You basically decide where. That’s a big deal. Why did you want to get involved with this specific position? What motivated you to take on that role, I’m curious?
Jules: Yeah, so, my experience with voting in different communities in New Hampshire was bad. It was hard to vote as a deaf and disabled voter. Elections are not really accessible in many places. So I want to help create an accessible election so everyone regardless of disability, deafness, gender, or age can vote.
Alex: I get that. From your “negative” experience with barriers, you’ve decided to get involved yourself and make a difference in the future. Nice.
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Alex: I hope you’ve inspired others. We know that there have been several other deaf people who campaigned in local politics. Some didn’t win, but some won. It’s good to see more and more deaf people becoming involved in local politics. Do you see a positive change with deaf people being involved? Do you notice a difference now compared with the past? I’m curious.
Jules: Yes, there are many deaf activists who have created a positive difference and impact for deaf voters. I have learned from many amazing deaf people about the importance of language access. I think that more language access will mean that in the future, more deaf people will become involved in local, statewide, and national politics.
Alex: Yeah. Do you have anything you’d like to add before we wrap up? Any final comments?
Jules: Um. Don’t forget to vote! If you want information about how to become involved in local politics in your home area, I’m happy to help you with providing information.
Alex: Thank you, Jules Good! And congratulations on being selected as a Selectperson!
Jules: Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[End interview]
Alex: I learned something new about the role of a Selectman/Selectperson. You can follow Jules on Twitter at @JulianaGood1009.
*Alex misspelled the city of Somersworth as “Somerset” in his fingerspelling.