Poll workers: States scramble to recruit 2020 election workers amid pandemic


The figures are shaky. Maryland announced in late July that it was short of nearly 14,000 election day workers – prompting Republican Gov. Larry Hogan to consolidate areas into polling stations, in part to reduce the number of people needed.

Deficits, however, remain a concern for many state election officials, even as record numbers of people are expected to vote by post in the November election amid the pandemic.

The spring elections held in person illustrated the risks of voting ballots in an election that is expected to be high turnout, with voters in Wisconsin, Georgia and other states waiting to cast their ballots.
The U.S. Electoral Commission has announced that September 1 will be National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, but states and constituencies are not waiting to go to war, open up public servants, teens and even the National Guard to ensure they have enough staff.

“You saw in the primaries – you have to have poll workers to open polling stations,” said commission chairman Ben Hovland. “Jurisdictions need to have those numbers.”

Activate the National Guard

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers activated the Wisconsin National Guard to help as poll workers for Tuesday’s primary. The Guard sent 700 soldiers and airmen to polling stations in 40 counties, according to the state Department of Military Affairs.
It was the third time Evers had to use the Guard to tackle voluntary shortages amid the pandemic. The Democratic governor also activated them for the state’s primary April and a special congressional election in May.

“Time and time again, the Guard has stepped in to help its neighbors, friends and communities, as they will do on election day by helping ensure that every Wisconsinite can vote safely without fear for their health,” Evers said in a press release.

New Jersey used its National Guard to support voting bureaucracies for the state’s primary July. This was the first time in the history of the New Jersey National Guard that more than 120 soldiers in civilian clothes reported to county election boards and polling stations in seven counties to assist in the primary, according to the U.S. Department of Defense.

Government services pay at locations for polling stations

In Ohio, the Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday approved a resolution allowing county officials to take paid leave while serving in the November election. Under the resolution, county workers would receive their regular pay on election day as well as the allowance normally paid to poll workers.

Tony Perlatti, director of the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, told CNN on Tuesday that officials still need about 1,500 poll workers.

“We have a new application collection infrastructure that we went live with on Friday. So now we have sort of everything in place,” Perlatti said.

Alaska has already seen results of a similar incentive for state employees for its primary next Tuesday. Divisional Chief Electoral Officer Gail Fenumiai told CNN that more than 300 workers have applied since the recruitment effort was launched, enough to fully replace replacements.

“Right now it looks like we are insured for the primary election. Once we get through the primary, we will be working on confirming workers for the November election,” Fenumiai said in an email to CNN.

Lowering age limit for interviewer employee

Tennessee is looking for teens to serve as poll workers this year.

In March, the Tennessee General Assembly passed legislation that lowered the age requirement to serve as an election worker in the state from 17 to 16. After the change, Secretary of State Tre Hargett announced that 3,000 Tennesseans, many of them young adults, had sign up to run the state and federal elections on August 6th.

“State Election officials and agencies were aggressive in recruiting polling officials for August, and we will continue to do so for the approximately 17,000 workers needed in November,” said Julia Bruck, director of communications for Hargett.

Reach out to local religious groups and athletic teams for help

In Georgia, election officials are pushing for local groups that include religious organizations and even athletic teams to strengthen the workforce.

Secretary of State Jordan Fuchs told CNN that the recruitment efforts, including promotion of the U.S. Election Commission’s National Recruitment Day, hope to bring in at least 10,000 poll workers. As of Tuesday, Fuchs said about 3,000 Georgians had applied.

Online volunteer portal

Kentucky and California are increasing online recruitment, with a new volunteer portal finding applicants for counties.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams said in a news release Tuesday that the availability of workers will dictate how many polling stations are open on election day. If a province does not have enough employees, that limits the province’s client’s ability to vote in person, he said.

“As far as your policy is concerned, we need your help so that we can offer personal voting, and also so that we can ask fewer of our older questioners who are normally volunteers,” Adams said in the release.

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla called on residents to volunteer in an announcement on Wednesday.

“Election officials depend on reliable, dedicated teams of poll workers to make every election day smooth. This year, many Californians who would normally volunteer will be asked to stay home for their safety, so we have the next generation. poll workers need to step up and meet this moment, ”Padilla said.

Recruitment of demand workers from the city

In July, Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos issued a directive changing procedures for the state’s primary elections in August and November.

Among the changes was giving local governments the ability to hire poll workers who are not local residents or registered voters, including 16- and 17-year-olds.

“[W]e have no way of knowing what the coming months will bring. However, we know when there are a few months of renewal coming up, as we already see, it will be too late to act to reduce Vermonters’ health and the pursuit of their sacred franchise, “Condos said in” the July directive, which applied to Tuesday’s statewide primary and November elections.

CNN’s Henrietta Reily contributed to this story.

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