PICTURE THIS: Once a year, or at most twice, you engage in a mission on which, arguably, the fate of the Western World rests.

Exaggeration? Keep reading.

The pay's a bit over minimum wage. You arrive well before dawn, and hopefully you'll be home before midnight. You'll work closely with people of a different political persuasion whose goals may be diametrically opposed to yours. You'll work furiously to set up for your first customer at 6 a.m. For the next 15 hours, you'll be confronted by hundreds of people on their own single-minded, serious mission who expect unfettered access to what you jealously guard: the ballot box.

All this, while you rapidly make decisions based on what you know of complex and changing laws. Your every move may be scrutinized by pollwatchers, and they may know that law inside out, or they may just say they do. They won't hesitate to do a “gotcha” when you make a mistake (or, just as likely, when you don't).

Should you lose track of a ballot -- even one -- the fallout could be dire. You'll handle many hundreds over your nearly 20-hour day.

Your work will help determine the future of your town, the county, the state and the nation.

Who does this often-thankless work? Our election inspectors, who take an oath to support the Constitution. Some are retired; some take the day off from other work. They all attend annual trainings that can't possibly cover every situation they may face. But they try to make every voter's experience painless and pleasant.

Most come back year after year. Why? Because they know democracy can't happen without them.

It's challenging. Inspectors have to make on-the-spot decisions on all manner of issues. A common one is when a voter's name isn't in the poll book. If other voters are waiting in line (and there were too many lines last year), it can make you sweat. The right move ensures that an eligible voter's vote will be counted. The wrong move may disenfranchise a voter, and that's democracy done badly.

The voter could come to Hudson and ask the presiding judge for an order directing that his or her ballot be cast on the voting machine. Or the inspector can provide a provisional, or “affidavit,” ballot, which will be held separately from the others. There's never any harm in an inspector offering one as long as the voter lives in that election district. But an affidavit ballot offered where the voter doesn't live effectively disenfranchises that voter. That's the law.

The voter completes the affidavit ballot and inserts it, privately, into an envelope that asks him or her for information and requires signing an oath affirming that the information is true. The ballot, in its envelope, is set aside and returned to the Board of Elections, where, after Election Day, our deputy commissioners will research the information provided. They'll recommend counting the ballot or not, depending on what they learn: Was the voter registered to vote in time for the election? Was the voter at the correct poll site? If the answer to both is yes, “yes” will be their recommendation.

Commissioner Jason Nastke and I will review the recommendations. If we agree to count a ballot, then the envelope, unopened, will be added to that district's absentee ballots, also in their unopened envelopes. Later, all the envelopes will be opened by a bipartisan inspector team, well mixed to ensure confidentiality.

If we agree a ballot cannot be counted, its envelope will never be opened. In either case, voters will receive a letter of explanation.

Affidavit voting is just one scenario an inspector encounters. For the protection of inspectors as well as voters, political parties and candidates, all actions by inspectors are taken in a bipartisan manner. This helps reduce errors over a long and taxing day.

Despite the challenges, inspecting is wonderfully gratifying work (and it really can be fun, especially as you get to know your counterparts from the other political party). Inspectors (232, countywide) are the lifeblood of our elections, and we always seem to need more. If you think you could contribute to the democratic process, we'd love to talk. Call 518 828-3115 or visit our website at columbiacountyny.com/depts/elections.

Virginia Martin is the Democratic commissioner of the Columbia County Board of Elections.