Officials seek poll workers as pandemic surges

State and local election officials across the country are trying to recruit younger workers to staff polling places on Election Day.

The effort is driven by concern that many traditional poll workers will be too worried about catching the coronavirus to show up.

Recruitment efforts are increasingly targeting young people, who are less at risk of developing serious illness from the virus, as officials and advocates aim to make sure election sites stay open

Candice Price is excited about taking on a temporary job with the Ann Arbor, Michigan, city clerk's office.

"We're in the office and literally, I think I stuffed 515 ballots. I have tons of paper cuts from it," the 34-year-old from nearby Pittsfield Township, Michigan, said with a smile.

Experts say finding enough poll workers is always difficult, even when there isn't a pandemic killing thousands of people, forcing widespread shutdowns and spawning a series of evolving safety rules.

Normally, long hours, low pay and lots of stress might keep folks away.

Now add face shields, protective barriers and fears of getting sick.

More than two-thirds of poll workers are over age 61, putting them at higher risk should they contract COVID-19.

Scores of workers dropped out during this year's primary season.

Worker shortages forced Milwaukee to shutter all but five of the city's 180 polling places during the April presidential primary.

Karli Tatum waited hours to vote that day.

Rather than complain, the 26-year-old decided to take action, signing up to become a poll worker.

"I want to be able to do my part the way that I can. And so, I'm like, I'm going to go out and brave the polls," said Tatum, whose day job is at Milwaukee Area Technical College.

Local governments are typically responsible for recruiting poll workers, but states have been stepping in as the pandemic exacerbates an already fragile system.

"It has been one of our top priorities this year. And so, we've been recruiting election workers more aggressively and creatively than ever before," said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's top election official.

Advocacy groups also are mobilizing.

The nonprofit Poll Hero Project, for example, has recruited more than 25,000 young people to become poll workers since its creation only a couple of months ago.

"Without poll workers, polling stations close," said Ella Gantman, co-founder of the project and a sophomore at Princeton University.

"And when polling stations close, it's often marginalized communities or underserved communities that find themselves victims to that and are no longer able to vote or have their voice heard in our civic processes."

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