A Petworth resident casts one of DC’s Electoral College votes for Biden
/DC’s three Electoral College voters, Jackie Echavarria, Meedie Bardonille and Barbara Helmick.
(Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Echavarria)
by Maya Gold
On January 20, 2021, Joseph R. Biden will be sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. It’s been a long road in many, many ways — and Petworth’s own Jacqueline Echavarria was an important part of that process.
Nearly a month before, on December 14th, appointed delegates across the country gathered to cast the electoral votes for president and vice president. These electoral voters are selected by political parties on the state level. They’re usually politicians or celebrities.
This year, to honor the 100 year anniversary of women’s suffrage, the three DC electoral voters were women of service. Enchavarria was one of them: she’s a Petworth Safeway employee who has been working at the grocery store for over 20 years, and an active member of UFCW Local 400.
Enchavarria is a lifelong Petworth resident — she’s lived in the area since she was about seven. She joined the US Army, then worked for MPD, and ultimately returned to Petworth.
Her fellow electoral voters were Meedie Bardonille, a DC nurse and Howard University graduate, and Barbara Helmick, the director of programs for DC Vote and DC statehood advocate.
The ceremony itself, like everything else this year, was a bit different. It took place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to allow for social distancing.
“It was an awesome experience being with my fellow delegates,” Enchavarria says. “It was absolutely an honor. My mother volunteered at the polls as a poll worker, I’ve been voting since I was old enough to. I voted in honor of her.”
DC’s electoral voters with DC’s secretary of state, Kimberly A. Bassett.
(Photo courtesy of Jacqueline Echavarria0
While the usual festivities were cancelled due to COVID-19 considerations, Enchavarria still got to stand and sign an enormous paper ballot for the president and vice president — in keeping with DC tradition, all three delegates voted for Democratic candidate Joseph R. Biden, Jr. and Kamala Harris. After the delegates signed, Mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Secretary of State Kimberly A. Bassett signed off.
“I’m a native Washingtonian and that was just cool to represent my city,” Enchavarria said. “2020 was just a challenging year for all of us and that made it even more important to me.”
