Recruiting

Poll

Workers

Recruiting

Poll Workers

Author:

David H. Maidenberg

8025 Claridge Road

Indianapolis, Indiana 46260

Managed and Edited by:

William C. Kimberling

Office of Election Administration

Published by:

Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

Washington, D.C. 20463

July 1996
Introduction by the

Office of Election

Administration

This report is another in the series on Innovations in Election Administration being published

by the FEC's Office of Election Administration.

The purpose of this series is to acquaint State

and local election officials with innovative election procedures and technologies that have been

successfully implemented by their colleagues

around the country.

Our reports on these innovations do not

necessarily constitute an endorsement by

the Federal Election Commission either of

any specific procedures described or of any

vendors or suppliers that might be listed

within the report. Moreover, the views and

opinions expressed in these reports are

those of the authors and are not necessarily shared by the Federal Election Commission or any division thereof.

We welcome your comments on these reports

as well as any suggestions you may have for additional topics. You may mail these to us at:

The Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

or else contact us

Direct on 202/219-3670

Toll free on 800/424-9530

By FAX on 202/219-8500

e-mail on bkimberling@fec.gov

i i
Where Have

All The Poll

Workers Gone?

It's frustrating. With so many new challenges

facing election officials, it is one of the oldest problems that demands more and more attention:

finding election day poll workers. It is a predicament that plagues almost every jurisdiction in

the country and it grows worse every year.

Many things differ from one jurisdiction to the

next. Administrative structures, responsibilities,

and compensation levels all vary widely from

State to State and often within a State. Yet nearly

all election officials report that recruiting poll

workers is difficult and growing worse. And they

feel the vice tightening on them.

Why is this happening? The job of poll worker,

with its extremely long hours and usually only

token pay, has never had enormous appeal. It is

confining, repetitious and burdened with paperwork. In retrospect, it is a wonder that we didn't

have problems much earlier!

However, the job has appealed to many. Partisans, housewives, retirees and others have enjoyed participating on the front lines of American democracy. The social interaction with neighbors has also drawn people to the job. But the

forces that attracted these people have changed.

And the change will continue.

Political parties, which in many States are either invited or expected to provide poll workers are

in many areas no longer vibrant enough to generate the necessary appointments. Housewives, once

the backbone of polling place operations, have

moved into the conventional work force.

Today, the pool of poll workers is composed

largely of older Americans. But poll work is becoming more demanding. As laws change and as

technology advances, polling place operations are

no longer as simple as they once were. Fail-safe

voting requirements, electronic voting and tabulating equipment, and added paperwork create a

more complex environment that older Americans

often find less comfortable than do the young.

Older Americans may find the extremely long

days more demanding than they can endure.

Fourteen or sixteen hour work days are difficult

for anyone. They can be especially trying for seniors. So even the core of our current poll workers, older Americans, is in jeopardy.

Implications for the Future

As election officials across the country struggle

to staff their polling places, their efforts inevitably fall short at times. Some larger municipalities consider themselves lucky to go into an election with only a thousand or so vacant poll worker

positions. These vacancies are not caused by a

lack of effort. Low public interest, poor compensation, stringent eligibility requirements and long

hours may thwart even the best efforts.

Even when these jurisdictions achieve full

staffing, they sometimes do so by plugging in
every warm body they can find. But in being

forced to sacrifice their screening process, quality control — and even the integrity of the election itself— can be compromised.

Understaffing leads to some polls not opening

on time, if at all. It contributes to lines that move

slowly and increases the likelihood that proper

procedures are not followed. Eligible votes are

more likely to slip through the cracks and ineligible votes are more likely to pass. Voters are

more likely to be turned off by strained, understaffed polling place operations. And the dedicated workers who do show up are less likely to

return due to the stress caused by understaffing.

Such nightmarish scenarios will become more

common as poll workers become more scarce.

That is a reason why the Federal Election Commission chose to focus on this problem with this

publication. In so doing, it is hoped that State

and local election officials, as well as other policy

makers, will be armed with new ideas to combat

this problem.

What You Will Find

in this Publication

Like most research projects, this one evolved

as it progressed. It began as a collection of ideas

and methods used mostly by local election officials to gather names of prospective poll workers. That remains a primary component. As the

work progressed however, it became clear that

although recruiting poll workers falls largely onto

the shoulders of local election officials, it is a problem that is shared with State legislators, State

election officials, local government fiscal authorities and others. Certainly long term solutions in

most States must include this broader spectrum

of policymakers. Accordingly, ideas relevant to

these officials will be offered as well.

It is unlikely that creative recruitment programs, more generous budgets or progressive legislation will make the poll worker problem go

away. But a reexamination of all of these will help.

The objective of this publication is to stimulate

just that — a rethinking of all facets of the problem affecting recruitment: compensation, polling

place structure, roles of parties — to name just a

few. Not all ideas will apply to all jurisdictions, but

hopefully readers will discover something new or

might be encouraged to talk with lawmakers about

making statutory alterations that might assist.

The reader should keep several things in mind.

First, the scope of this publication includes the

general area of recruiting poll workers - but not

their training. In many forums, these topics presented together, but aside from discussion of the

impact of training on recruitment of poll workers, it is not part of this document.

You should also be mindful that definitions

differ from one jurisdiction to another. For example, the chief officer of a polling place in one

State might be called an inspector. In another

State that person might be a captain or a chief

judge. I have tried, but may not always have succeeded in keeping to generic titles.

Defining and locating innovations in poll worker

recruitment proved to be more difficult than it originally seemed. For what may be innovative in one

place may be mundane and ineffective elsewhere.

And with thousands of poll worker appointing authorities across the nation, the likelihood of my

missing interesting and noteworthy techniques is

100%. In another section I will thank those who

shared their ideas with me. In this one, let me apologize to the many that I will inevitably miss.

What I try to convey here is a smorgasbord of

issues for administrators and policy makers at

various levels of government to consider, as well

as offering various recruiting techniques that

have been shared by colleagues who struggle with

this problem. Appendices contain copies of recruitment materials used by election officials that

around the country and statutes of interest. Also

included in the appendices are a sampling of poll

worker pay ranges and the numbers of poll workers used per polling place in a some jurisdictions

around the country.
Categorizing recruiting ideas was also a little

tricky. In trying to do it, I found that slight variations make similar ideas candidates for inclusion

in a variety of different sections. I have therefore

tried to cross-reference and index, but please bear

with me when I place a technique in one section

while you were looking for it elsewhere.

Some ideas offered here will not be for you.

Some may work in other States and simply will

not transfer well to your own. Also, some solutions require legislative authorization. But don't

let that deter you. If an idea requires the help of

lawmakers then talk with them. Where State

statutes may have served a worthy purpose at

one time, some of them occasionally "wear out"

by changes in our society. And it is the my experience that lawmakers welcome information concerning problems, especially when accompanied

with prospective solutions. Legislators, in the

absence of such information, frequently assume

that no problem exists. So if you, together with

your colleagues, think a change in your State's

laws will help, then by all means discuss it with

lawmakers — perhaps beginning with your own

or with the elections committee chairpersons in

your legislature.

The Role

of States

Each State's laws provide the legal framework

upon which election officials build polling place

operations. That framework should be examined

periodically, especially in light of poll worker recruitment difficulties. In the case of laws dealing

with election administration, this reexamination

sometimes occurs only when election officials

educate lawmakers about problems and prospective solutions.

Laws affecting polling places in many States

were written decades ago. While many provide

continuity, structure, and integrity to polling operations, others are outdated and needlessly constrain election officials trying to find qualified

staff. The trick of course is in separating the good

from the bad. What is useless in one State may

be important to another. Even within a State, not

all will agree on what is purposeful and what is

necessarily problematic. This section reviews

some areas that policy makers might want to

examine.

Compensation Flexibility

In spite of the fact that it is almost always local government that compensates poll workers,

statutes in some States set specific compensation

levels or ceilings. This makes it difficult to adjust pay levels based on local factors. States like

Indiana and Iowa have in recent years amended

their laws, allowing local governments to make

poll workers compensation decisions for themselves. Budget considerations, recruiting difficulties and other factors can be balanced by local

jurisdictions. One county election commissioner

in Iowa put it this way:

"The Iowa Legislature responded to the problem of having a specific hourly rate of pay

specified in the Code by eliminating this and

allowing local control by county boards of supervisors who are much more familiar with

prevailing wage rates. Now local county auditors (who are also Commissioners of Elections in Iowa) work with County Boards of

Supervisors to set this wage rate at a rational level. This has made an enormous difference in the ability to hire qualified people."

Precinct Board Structure

Another area that States might want to review

is how the election day polling place is staffed. A

logical response to recruiting difficulties is to examine whether election day personnel are being

efficiently used. State laws frequently include

very detailed specifications on how polling places

are structured and staffed. States often require

anywhere from three to twelve poll workers per

polling place, specifying positions to be filled,

duties and eligibility requirements. Many such

laws have likely been in place for years.

While these structures may still be entirely

appropriate, it is also possible that they are out-
dated. A review might examine such questions

as: are all the positions required under law really needed? Have changes in procedures or technology created less of a need for so many workers? Might the need for poll workers vary according to certain factors such as type of voting system used or number of voters in a polling place?

If the answer to any of these questions is "yes",

perhaps the poll worker laws need to be adjusted

accordingly.

A number of States have made some adjustments. Indiana law was recently changed, permitting local jurisdictions to eliminate the sometimes

under-used poll "sheriffs." This reduced the average precinct board to five workers from seven (when

sheriffs are used, one of each party must be appointed). Officials in Allen County, Indiana took

advantage of this change in their municipal elections. They have the option of using sheriffs again

if the need exists.

Some local election officials may have to develop the ability to balance conflicting needs, such

as staffing difficulties versus lines of voters at

the polls. But policymakers might consider

whether or not a State's election system would

be in better balance if local election officials were

granted wider discretion.

Number and Size of Precincts

There is a pendulum effect in some jurisdictions. Lawmakers swing between conflicting solutions to different problems. The snarl of long

lines of voters in large precincts versus the costs

of too many precincts often cause policy conflicts.

Lawmakers, wanting to eliminate long lines

at the polls, often set limits on the number of registered voters in a precinct. Then, after the problem of long lines is forgotten, local officials, wanting to minimize the number of precincts along

with the costs of operating them (as well as the

need for poll workers), try to free themselves of

the ceiling set by lawmakers.

What is preferable to swinging back and forth

between these problems, is trying to find a solution that corrects both. This is easier said than

done. Afixed number of registered voters per precinct is easy, but it is arbitrary. Precincts which

contain equal numbers of voters will likely have

very different turnout rates. These rates also fluctuate wildly within the same precinct throughout the election cycle.

A magic solution will not appear in these pages,

but the experience and practice of election officials suggests that instead of the number of registered or actual voters, policymakers should focus on the ability of a polling place to process

voters. The key variables to this will likely be

the number (and type) of machines and the number of workers. Thus, instead of a law requiring

the creation of an additional precinct when a

threshold is reached, perhaps the addition of a

machine (or other type of voting mechanism),

along with appropriate staff, could be mandated.

These considerations become especially important in jurisdictions with early voting, mail balloting or other programs that move significant

voting activity to outside the election day polling

place. An election official in one such jurisdiction

in Iowa is grateful that his State laws allow him

to cut back on poll workers to reflect the fact the

20% of his constituents that vote before election

day.

Regardless of the solution, giving local governments the ability to reduce the number of polling

places is an option that policy makers may wish

to consider, so long as it can be done in a way

that does not create undue voter inconvenience

or partisan gamesmanship.

Streamlining Election Day

Operations

First time poll workers are often astonished

at the complexity of election day work. They, like

veteran workers, are often turned off by it. Polling place procedures are often a mixture of State
laws and local procedures. They also tend to be

layered, with new sets of forms and procedures

piled on previous ones. The complexity of polling

place work has increased in many jurisdictions

during the last several years as a result of the

National Voter Registration Act. What is often

missing is a periodic review of the entire process:

Are all of these form really necessary? If so, are

they necessitated by a real need or just an old

statute? Of those forms that are important to the

process, are they as concisely drafted and easy to

use as they can be? Can they be combined to be

more logical and to eliminate asking redundant

information? Are the many envelopes or separate

containers that are often part of the polling place

system really necessary?

Election officials undertaking such a review

will likely find that the forms they have been

using for years were once required but have long

since been altered or dropped. In other cases, statutes prevent common sense streamlining. And

many attempts at improving forms and procedures are hampered by the fact that it is usually

local officials who administer polls, State officials

who guide them with statutes, and lawmakers

who enact the statutes.

A periodic review by a committee or task force

representing all three of these viewpoints is a

healthy process. Obsolete laws can be dropped

or amended, local procedures updated, and the

system in general can be made to operate more

efficiently based on today's practices and technologies. This review can seldom succeed as a

purely local process, since statutes often must be

adjusted and systems variances from county to

county must be considered.

Done correctly, polling places will operate more

smoothly. Poll workers will be less frustrated by

cumbersome forms and procedures. And happier

poll workers are more likely to return in future

elections.

The Role of Political Parties

The role of political parties in recruiting poll

workers varies from one State to another. Many

States expect their major parties to play a significant role in the process by submitting names

of potential poll workers to local election officials.

In theory, this serves a number of purposes: it

provides election officials with an election day

work force; it assures a bi-partisan presence on

precinct boards; and it offers parties the chance to

"hand-out" one day jobs to interested supporters.

In many places, however, this practice no

longer works as well as it once did. Parties, like

election officials, are also finding it harder to recruit workers. Unlike election officials, party organizers may view their role in recruiting poll

workers as secondary to getting the vote out and

similar partisan functions. While this may have

always been the case, what has changed is the

scarcity of labor. As poll worker recruiting has

become more difficult, parties may view their role

as more burden than a reward. Parties too no

longer attract workers like they used to. With

human resources being more scarce, priorities

become more important.

Objective data may be lacking, but most observers feel that of the estimated 930,000 poll

workers nationwide, political parties account for

a dwindling percentage. Officials in Hawaii estimate that parties account for about 14% of poll

workers. Even in the historically patronage rich

Chicago, officials estimate that no more than 50%

of poll workers originate from party submissions.

Still, where parties have an official role, it is an

important one. Most election officials are glad to

have these names in their pool of workers. States

that include parties in the poll worker recruitment process might want to consider whether

their role is still useful, appropriate, and optimal. Do election officials have appropriate latitude to screen out unqualified workers? Does the

timing of party submissions of poll worker nominations work as well as it could?
Hawaii law, for example, states that parties

shall submit names for precinct election officials

not later than the sixtieth day before the close of

candidate filing for an election. May 24th is the

deadline for 1996 submissions. After that, the

chief election official may fill the positions without regard to party affiliation. Many other States

place this party submission deadline significantly

closer to the election. Illinois parties have until

the 28th day before an election. The deadline in

Indiana is 14 days before an election.

States reviewing the appropriateness of such

a deadline may find that an earlier deadline, like

Hawaii's, allows election officials as well as political parties to concentrate on poll worker recruiting earlier, before the crush of other election activities. Parties would likely find that election officials would remain quite receptive to additional names even after the deadline.

Eligibility

Most States do not have stringent eligibility

requirements for poll workers. Typically, one must

be a registered voter of the appointing jurisdiction, and not be a candidate or closely related to

a candidate. The ability to read and write English is often required. Some State laws require

or encourage poll workers to serves in the area

where they live. Many States, as mentioned, require a mix of partisan affiliations.

Policymakers in some places are examining

some of these restrictions. Some States, like Hawaii, waive partisan affiliation requirements after the prescribed deadline on the theory that a

qualified worker of the "wrong" party is better

than no worker.

Precinct residency requirements for poll workers, where they exist, also appear to be giving

way to a more generalized county requirement.

West Virginia recently abolished the precinct residency requirements and Arizona law reportedly

allows poll workers from outside a precinct when

an emergency is declared. Virtually all election

officials agree that precinct residency is a plus

and strive for that goal. Precinct residents are

more likely to know who moved away, who lives

where they say and what they look like. By the

same token, poll workers usually prefer working

in their home precinct, sometimes insisting on

it. But social, demographic and sometimes bi-lingual variables make staffing polls especially challenging. In the face of this, out-of-precinct poll

workers are preferable to vacancies. Hawaii

writes this preference into it laws. Note that it is

Stated as a preference — not as a hard mandate:

"In assigning precinct officials the following criteria shall be followed: (1) The precinct officers shall be registered voters of

the precinct in which they serve; but if qualified persons in the precinct or representative district are not readily available to

serve, they may be chosen from without the

precinct or representative district...."

Collier County, Florida, is among the jurisdictions

that offer extra pay to those willing to work outside their home precinct.

Availability

At least several States have laws which protect people with jobs who want time off to perform poll work. Minnesota adopted a law in 1991

which assured that the State's poll workers would

be given time off for working on election day, without penalty. The employer is allowed to reduce

the absent employee's wages the amount that the

poll worker was paid for election day service during the hours that the person would normally

have been working (see Appendix A-l).

Also helping to make workers available is the

practice in some jurisdictions of requiring the closure of certain institutions on election day. This

is not always to facilitate poll worker recruitment

but it sometimes serves that purpose. School

teachers, substitute teachers, and especially nonteaching school personnel are good sources of poll

workers in Kentucky, where the public schools

are closed on election day. State and local governments are closed on election day in some ju8
risdictions, making those employees targets for

recruitment, where Hatch Act type laws do not

prevent such work. Where laws do prohibit government workers from serving as official poll

workers, lawmakers might want to consider

whether the public good is best served by this

prohibition.

Independent Contractor Status

Several years ago when a change in federal tax

laws triggered the withholding of social security

taxes for poll workers until subsequent corrective action was taken, there were serious repercussions on local election officials. "Tax withholding had an incredibly negative effect," said one

official. Many workers reportedly dropped out of

the pool at that time, apparently feeling that

withholding was the last straw. But the controversy triggered questions in many States about

whether State, local, and other taxes should be

withheld. Some of these questions are still festering. Where that is the case, lawmakers might

consider corrective action. Indiana, for example,

adopted language in 1995 specifying that poll

workers are to be considered independent contractors (see Appendix A-2).

Tools for States

Several States have organized task forces to

review poll worker recruitment problems and

solutions. Ohio Secretary of State Bob Taft, in

early 1995, formed a task force of local election

officials which discussed recruitment and training issues. The task force surveyed local election

offices, discussed findings, and made several legislative and administrative recommendations

(see Appendix A-3).

Around the same time, California Secretary of

State Bill Jones convened a task force for a much

broader examination of California's electoral system. The California task force included local election officials, public interest groups and others.

The poll worker recruitment problem was among

the issues addressed and, like Ohio, recommendations were offered to the legislature (see Appendix A-4). As of this writing, legislative recommendations are pending in both States.

"County option" is in itself a tool that lawmakers can use. When the Indiana General Assembly debated the elimination of the poll sheriff,

some worried that the assistance of poll sheriffs

would be missed and others wanted the parties

to have the opportunity to nominate these extra

positions. After debating the issue in several legislative sessions a compromise was reached allowing for the elimination of sheriffs at county

option.

There is another tool used in Indiana that may

be of interest. Indiana elections, at the local level,

are administered by a three member county election board in all but one county. Such boards comprise the circuit court clerk (the chief local election official in Indiana), and appointees of each

of the two major county party chairman. When

lawmakers consider granting additional powers

to the local boards, some fear that the party in

control may abuse those powers. To overcome this

concern, lawmakers have on several occasions

granted the power with the condition that it only

be implemented upon unanimous vote of the

board. The primary objective of this mechanism

is to assure that both major parties in the county

agree on the issue.

Another tool used in Indiana is the "pilot program." Local election officials repeatedly sought

legislative approval to permit the central count

of absentee ballots on election day, rather than

sending absentee ballots to be counted by the poll

workers in each polling place. The initiative only

progressed when reluctant legislators allowed for

a two year pilot program. The law limited the

program to only five of Indiana's 92 counties, to

be chosen by a unanimous vote of the State Election Board from applications submitted by interested county election boards that also had voted

unanimously in favor of the program. In the early

stages of the pilot program , there were some

implementation problems in larger counties, but

the legislature has removed the two year time

9
limit on the program, thus allowing further experimentation with the program. Many county

officials would like to see the program expanded,

but are satisfied for the time being to see it alive.

States might want to consider limited pilot

projects to experiment with far reaching innovations, such as the use of shift, draft, or "underage" poll workers. These and other programs are

described below.

10
Recruiting

on the

Front Lines

To many front-line election administrators, recruiting poll workers is like feeding an 800 pound

gorilla. Getting through a feeding is exhausting and

time-consuming. Meals occur at the busiest times.

And yet the creature's appetite continues to grow.

The scarcity of competent election-day workers is a rising source of anxiety for already

stressed election administrators. These officials

gratefully accept the workers they get from traditional sources, but are on the hunt for new ones

as well. This search has prompted much experimentation and innovation among local election

officials. As Emmett Fremaux wrote in 1994 for

the Trilateral Conference of Electoral Systems,

"Innovation in recruitment is ongoing, and

because the thousands of election jurisdictions

in the United States experiment independently from each other, many 'laboratories'

are at work to solve the increasing problem

of worker shortages. What works in one jurisdiction may not work in every other, but

the list of tools to work with is growing longer."

Fremaux noted that smaller and rural jurisdictions,

with more stable populations, have not experienced

recruitment problems with the same intensity as

other jurisdictions, but it was clear that the problem was growing for most of them as well. What

follows are some approaches that election officials

have taken to feeding their own gorillas.

Recruiting Through the

Community

Election officials use a wide variety of techniques to recruit poll workers through community resources. The material in this section discusses how some officials get their message out.

While this discussion includes efforts encompassing corporations and other organizations, more

specialized programs, such as fundraising for

assisting groups and getting businesses more

actively involved in recruiting are discussed in

other sections.

Virtually all poll worker recruiting is done

"through the community." However, many recruiting initiatives are more focused on certain groups:

political parties, the elderly, county employees,

etc. While many election officials fish in these

ponds, some also attempt to maintain visibility

in the community at-large in hope of discovering

new groups of people to draw upon. Even in the

absence such discoveries, community recruitment

drives are often worthwhile in producing additional individuals to add to the base.

Clearly, what works well in some places may

fail miserably elsewhere. With that caution in

mind, here are some examples and descriptions

of community recruitment drives that some election officials have found useful:

11
Working with Organizations

Every community includes a host of civic, social, community and religious organizations.

These offer opportunities for speeches, mailings,

and notices in their newsletters. All of these opportunities are available at little or no cost —

except for time. Election officials are sometimes

asked to speak to these organizations. When one

Florida official presents such a program, regardless of the topic and the time of the year, she will

always mention the need for poll workers. Making return cards available to the audience greatly

enhances follow-through. Many election officials

or their staffers enjoy making such presentations

and actively solicit invitations from them.

Some organizations are more fertile recruiting

ground than others. Those with a direct interest

in the election process are strong prospects for

recruiting. Leagues of Women Voters and similar election oriented groups are often helpful. But

organizations unrelated to elections have also

proved to be surprisingly helpful. Neighborhood

crime watch groups and condo or homeowner's

associations tend to be especially useful in Collier

County, Florida. These types of organizations

have the added benefit of being organized by geography. Therefore, when the Supervisor of Elections needs poll workers in certain precincts, she

frequently includes these neighborhood resources

in her search — and is often rewarded. Election

officials in the District of Columbia also include

neighborhood councils in their repertoire of recruiting techniques. Organizations of senior citizens and retirees also tend to be fertile territory.

Many of these same groups have membership

newsletters or will otherwise read an announcement at a meeting. Thus, many election offices

send mailings to organization leaders asking for

their help in distributing, posting or announcing

"poll workers wanted" notices.

Organizations working with disabled people

can be helpful in placing people for election day

service. Many people with disabilities are able to

communicate and function adequately. Well

placed calls to appropriate organizations or rehabilitation centers by an election official might

yield a crop of enthusiastic workers.

Church groups serve as poll worker recruiting

sources in many parts of the country. On request,

many churches will post notices (supplied by the

election office) on bulletin boards or reprint small

notices in their newsletters. One election official

felt that of all organizations, "the church groups

worked best and were easily retained." A Fort

Wayne, Indiana official noted that churches are

especially helpful in supplying workers when the

polling place is located in their building. This tendency may transfer to other organizations as well.

As an official in the southeast noted, people

active in one organization tend to be active elsewhere. That is why organizational recruitment

tends to be a good source for poll worker recruitment. Working with organizations is further discussed under "Recruiting Through Organizations

for Fundraising and Civic Action."

Information Kiosks

Many election agencies create flyers and brochures seeking poll workers. Some of these agencies are especially creative in getting the brochures into the community. The D.C. Board of

Elections and Ethics not only prints brochures,

but also miniature cardboard stands that hold

brochures and pads of application self-mailers.

These stands make it easy for government agencies, neighborhood organizations, churches and

other entities to display their material. Depending on the time of the year and the election cycle,

they may get up to 10 or 12 responses a day.

Samples of these materials are in Appendix A-5.

The World Wide Web

The information kiosk of the 21st century is

the Internet. A number of election agencies are

establishing sites on the World Wide Web, a rapidly growing and widely popular segment of the

Internet. Information on these electronic sites is

12
available to any of the millions of users of the

Internet. Election agency web sites are useful

means of providing information to the public. Poll

worker recruitment "pages" are not uncommon

add-ons to agency web sites, but they are not yet

yielding much fruit. Perhaps as the Web grows

and community web sites are better linked together, then a higher quantity of poll worker recruits will result from this new source. (See

Appendix A-6).

Recruiting New Residents

Through Telephone Book Inserts

A popular technique in Sacramento County,

California is the insertion of a small packet into

the telephone books. The packet, intended for new

residents, contains voter registration information, mail-in registration forms and a recruiting

notice (see Appendix A-7). They hope to recruit

new residents before they get involved in other

activities. Some communities also have "Welcome

Wagon" and similar organizations which also provide a means of reaching incoming residents.

Pitches to new residents might point out that poll

work is a good way to meet neighbors.

Recruiting Through Organizations

for Fundraising and Civic Action

As noted above, election officials in some jurisdictions work with organizations to staff certain polling places. A variation on this technique

is when the organization, its members, and the

election office agree that an objective of the

organization's efforts will be fundraising. For

example, the Northwest Neighborhood Association and the county election office agree that the

association will provide the required number of

people from its membership to staff one or more

polls on election day. They will provide sufficient

workers, whom the county will train and place

for election day work. Depending on the number

of people involved, their level of previous experience, and any partisan requirements, the county

may strive to place at least some members together in the same poll. The organization's members agree that their compensation will go to the

organization or to one of its causes or projects.

The advantage to the organization is that it

makes money. There may also be good public relations benefits for the organization, especially

with publicity assistance from election officials.

The advantage to election officials is that they

can recruit a potentially large block of willing poll

workers at one time - instead of individually.

Different types of organizations may be attracted to this type of effort, especially not-forprofits, churches, groups working with disabled

individuals and other community organizations

that tend to have an on-going need to raise funds.

One place to look for these is the list of polling

places. It is possible that if a poll is located in a

church or other group-owned structure, the group

may have an added interest in staffing the poll.

There are potential problems. The question of

who the government writes the check to should

be carefully worked out in advance. Some jurisdictions feel compelled to compensate the individual workers and leave it to the individuals to

redirect the funds to the organization. But once

individuals have the money, they sometimes are

reluctant to sign it over to the organization. This

leaves a conflict that the election office may get

drawn into. Ideally, there should be a clear but

simple agreement among the organization, the

election office, and the individual workers which

specifies who the check is written to. A program

which allows the county to pay the organization

directly appears to work the best, but election

officials need to work out details together with

their attorney and auditor. It need not — and

should not — be complicated.

Another potential problem is reliability. For

poll work, it is important for election officials to

know exactly who is to show up at each poll on

election morning. Officials using these programs

learn that some organizations tend to be more

reliable than others.

13
It is equally important that volunteers show

up for training. It will likely be worthwhile for

the election office to take a special training program directly to the organization. Also, as with

other poll worker applicants, officials will want

to be comfortable that a group has no interest in

swaying voters on any candidates or issues in the

context of poll work, and underscore that doing

so is unacceptable, if not criminal, behavior.

The Ventura County, California election office

has opened many doors to new poll workers

through this type of program which it markets

as "Count Me In" (also sometimes referred to as

"adopt a polling place." In the Ventura program,

the organization agrees to "adopt" polling places

which it is trained to completely staff and operate. Some organizations perform this service as

a fundraiser and others waive individual and organizational compensation to do it as a public

service. The Ventura County poll worker application allows individuals the opportunity to check

off various options, including volunteering their

time to the county or earmarking their compensation for the organization (see Appendix A-8).

Although not a required element of such a program, Ventura officials, in these narrow circumstances, allow organization staffed polls to be

worked in shifts. A more complete discussion of

shifts is in the section on that topic.

One of the most active organizations in the

Ventura County program has been Friends of the

Libraries. Ventura's libraries have been as hungry for cash as election officials have been for poll

workers. The adopt-a-polling place program offers solutions to both. In a recent election, library

workers "adopted" numerous polling places, providing close to 100 poll workers. The libraries

collected about $5,000. Other organizations have

also fared well. As a result of efforts like these,

the base of poll workers in Ventura County has

risen from 4,000 to 7,000.

The program requires commitment, time and

skill. One of the most important aspects is outreach: having a skilled spokesperson on the staff

to enthusiastically sell the program to civic

groups. Once convinced, arrangements must be

made, including a thorough job of training. "All

this is not a simple job," says the Ventura County

election administrator. "If I could afford to devote three people to this we could tremendously

expand the program."

Sacramento County, California also works with

organizations that raise funds by providing poll

workers. In a recent election they had about 25

to 30 polling places staffed with 70 to 80 individuals recruited in this manner. In cooperation

with the county auditor, they now have a method

for paying organizations directly. The county

naturally prefers that groups of workers be reasonably large, but there is no formal minimum.

The State of Hawaii adopted a law in 1995 that

specifically allows the chief election officer to contract with community organizations. The law will

be used in 1996 for the first time. Officials there

expect groups such as independent voter leagues,

school booster clubs and other non-profits to participate. The Hawaii law specifies that a contract

must be entered into, and that the organization

must have a tax clearance certificate from the

State. Election officials in Hawaii are working on

a model contract for this purpose, a draft of which

is included in Appendix A-9. Officials in Hawaii are

hopeful of a good response to the new law.

Election officials sometimes use non-profit organizations as a source of people power on election night at election central. Organizations

might be more successful in getting people to

work for several hours in an evening than during a long day at a poll. Sacramento County involves organizations in this manner with group

members assisting with supply check-in and

other labor-intensive election night activities.

Regardless of the packaging of these programs,

election officials will want to publicly thank any

organization that works with them. Gratitude

and publicity will go a long way in encouraging

repeated and expanded efforts.

14
Recruiting Through Businesses

Several election jurisdictions have reached out

to the business community in seeking poll workers. Some companies are especially receptive to

requests for assistance due to a desire to be a

good corporate citizen. Some businesses, due to

federal or State regulation, may have a responsibility to participate in community activities,

though not necessarily election-related efforts.

Banks and utilities are examples of these.

The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has a well developed outreach program to

businesses. They begin with a list from a local

business publisher of about 1200 large corporations. They mail a letter to the chief executives

or government relations people in these businesses explaining the importance of poll work

and asking them for assistance. This initial mailing includes a return card expressing interest on

behalf of the corporation and asking for additional

information.

In response to returned postcards, The Board

follows up with a phone call to the corporate

contact. They encourage the business to put up

posters and offer to supply applications, information sheets, and postage-paid return envelopes for individual employees to use. About ten

days after this information is delivered, the

elections office follows up with another phone

call to see how they are doing. As the applications come in from businesses, they are given

priority, attempting to place people near where

they want to serve. If there are at least 10-15

applicants from a business, the Board will provide on-site training. Companies are encouraged to give the employee time off with pay and

the Board will also pay them. Sometimes, when

the company does not wish to do this, an employee might take a personal or vacation day

and work anyway.

The Board encourages the companies and employees through appeals to civic pride. But officials report they are handicapped by the belief

that poll work is partisan (the Illinois requirement that poll workers be either Democrat or

Republican no doubt contributes to this perception). Another problem is that some otherwise

interested employees reside in the suburbs and

not wish in Chicago.

In spite of these obstacles, appeals to the business community in Chicago do contribute up to

several hundred poll work applications for an

election. The response varies with the interest

level in that particular election, with presidential elections bringing in a greater number.

In Washington, D.C., the Board of Elections and

Ethics also works with businesses. Their efforts

are somewhat less structured than Chicago's,

however. D.C. election officials ask businesses and

utilities to only serve as a forum to help distribute

their recruitment message to employees and customers. For example, the D.C. Board supplies inserts to some utilities to include with customer

billings.

D.C. officials did explore going further, asking

businesses to serve a more active role such as

enlisting willing employees. They found, however,

that many civically involved businesses already

had pet projects which they did not want to detract from. But many are willing to serve as a

pipeline of information.

Officials in some jurisdictions attempt to place

their recruitment message into business newsletters. Small businesses including real estate

brokers as well as larger business and governmental institutions sometimes communicate with

their employees or clients, or prospective customers through newsletters. Some of these, especially

in real estate, are targeted to certain neighborhoods — and many would likely welcome brief

recruitment messages.

Any entity that is in contact with large numbers of people should be considered a prospective

poll worker recruitment source. Businesses can

be very worthwhile sources of assistance.

15
Targeting Certain Employment

and Demographic Groups

Senior citizens are the primary demographic

group from which many able and willing poll

workers are found. Jurisdictions across the country tend to rely heavily on seniors for election

day work. But other groups can also be productively farmed for prospective poll workers as well.

The usefulness of various groups may vary from

one area to another depending on the labor market and a State's laws.

The key to success in this effort is to find groups

in your area that contain qualified workers who

are available and interested in temporary work.

Senior citizens are only one of a number of such

groups. Election officials have identified similar

groups that may fit this profile include:

• Students — (see "Recruiting Young People")

• Government workers — for any level of government that may be closed on election day

(provided that laws do not define such work as

prohibited "political" activity)

• Teachers — if schools are closed on election day

(do not overlook non-teaching school personnel)

• Substitute teachers

• Public assistance and unemployment compensation recipients

• Census takers

• Telephone book delivery people

Developing relationships with the organizations that work with these groups can be productive for election officials. Also, learning about and

working with associations and membership organizations that communicate with target groups

can be productive. Local associations of retirees

may be broad-based, seeking to encompass all

retirement age people. But there will likely be a

multitude of more specific groups of retirees, such

as the Retired Employees of ABC Bank, or the

Retired Teachers Association. Checking meeting

notices and social activities in newspapers can

reveal these.

Pension managers might be a source of information in how to reach retirees directly or

through various associations. One local election

official reported stumbling onto a lucrative source

of poll workers by calling county personnel officials. In doing so, she learned that several months

before, the county personnel department and retirement board together sent out a questionnaire

to county government retirees asking whether

any of them were interested in performing temporary work for county agencies during peak

times. Those that were interested returned a selfmailer to personnel officials. The election official

requested a copy of the list of interested people

and began contacting them about poll work. She

found a very high positive response rate.

Of course this official was lucky enough to find

a pre-screened list. But such screening can well

be a worthwhile activity for the election office,

especially if done before election season. Indeed,

our friend in the above paragraph was considering doing just that for retirees from city government after her success with county retirees.

Recruiting Through Advertising

Election officials throughout the country often

turn to advertising to supplement their base of

poll workers. Like product marketing, advertising for poll workers can either communicate a

broad message aimed to the jurisdiction at large

or it can aim to a narrower demographic segment.

Such a niche might be geographic in nature, such

as a certain precincts or sections of the community — or it might by demographic in nature, such

a minority, ethnic or age group which might be

under represented in the existing base of poll

workers.

Some election officials also target advertising

to groups that might be "over represented" in the

base of poll workers. For example, senior citizens

tend to be a good source of poll workers in many

16
jurisdictions. To catch more fish from this pond

of plenty, many election officials aim advertising

directly at involved seniors. This can be done

through specialty publications, advertising on

certain radio or TV programs or even in booklets

or programs with a large target audience.

For many election officials, a first attempt to

advertise for poll workers is typically a newspaper or radio advertisement placed in a popular

media. Such placement is often easy and quick.

The ad is often produced by the media with, of

course, the guidance and approval of the customer.

Costs vary greatly. The size of the ad (or length

in a broadcast medium), the size of the audience,

and the frequency of the ad are the key factors.

Thus even a small advertisement in a large daily

newspaper may be quite costly. The more popular a radio or TV station is, the higher the cost.

In terms of effectiveness, there is not a lot of

enthusiasm for broad-based advertising. Several

officials who have experimented with it question

the cost-effectiveness of community wide advertising. A Naples, Florida official experimenting

with radio advertising doubts whether her $700

was worthwhile enough to try it again. Some local officials in California were similarly unenthusiastic about their use of general newspaper advertising.

Some of this disaffection was due to the lack of

response. This might be the impact — or lack of

it — of a small budget in a large media market.

Several hundred or even several thousands of

dollars worth of advertising in a metropolitan

area may not go very far. But another reason for

the dissatisfaction was that even when the quantity of responses from broad-based media advertising was good, the quality of the responses

sometimes lacked. Sacramento officials, who

screen poll worker applicants during orientation

sessions for literacy, mobility and capacity to follow instructions, find that unusually high percentages of applicants are rejected when the

source of the applications is general advertising

or free media (news, in contrast to advertising).

But this can vary widely from one locale to another.

More specialized use of advertising can have

dramatically different effects. The same Sacramento officials who expressed disappointment

with advertising in daily newspapers report that

the same ad run in specialty publications can be

quite fruitful. Ads in Sacramento's Senior Spectrum, El Hispano and other targeted audience

publications are quite effective.

Similarly, officials in the Miami area like the

ability to target geographically. The Miami Herald

reportedly offers a periodic "Neighbors" supplement

that is aimed at one of six regions within the county.

This allows Dade County election officials to reach

into certain geographic areas of their community

— an ability that is important to them. It also

makes their advertising more cost-effective. Dade

County officials use newspaper advertising is in

their pre-election ballot supplement. When space

allows, they find this an effective place for ads, most

likely because it is read by people who vote — and

are therefore more likely to be involved in and concerned about elections.

A caution is offered by election officials experienced with advertising: time your advertising so

that you are prepared for the response you want.

That might mean to avoid advertising just before an election when many election offices are

too busy to effectively handle a flood of calls responding to the ad. If you do advertise during a

peak time, be prepared with extra staff or phone

lines to handle the demand.

Much of what is true with newspaper advertising is also true with the broadcast media. Targeting in radio and television can be accomplished

through judicious selection of stations, programs

and times of day. Each of these factors can affect

the composition and size of the audience that is

reached.

Newspapers and broadcasters are only several

of many ways to reach people through advertising. Many such opportunities exist. The Board of

17
Elections and Ethics in Washington D.C. uses a

wide variety of techniques including advertising

on city buses.

D.C. officials first used bus advertising city-wide.

In their second attempt, they targeted certain

neighborhoods and found this to be 'Very, very effective." Their bus ads, like billboards and other

"moving targets" must be kept very simple and direct. They are designed to convey their message

(and phone number) through not much more than

a glance from their target audience. The ad can

stay up anywhere from a month to a year.

While D.C.'s buses work well for recruitment,

officials there find subway advertising too expensive and more difficult to target. Advertising on

posters and on community kiosks is also used frequently in Washington.

Advertising can be an extremely valuable tool

in recruiting poll workers. It can also be as wasteful as throwing bales of cash from your roof. It is

well worth learning about and experimenting

with. A first step might be a brainstorming session with election colleagues, staff and others who

opinions you trust. Consider whom you wish to

reach. Target your intended population as specifically as you can. Brainstorm various methods

for reaching those targets. Establish a budget

that you are comfortable with. Talk with various

advertisers — a phone call to the commercial

advertising department of a newspaper or radio

station will bring a salesman to your desk quickly.

But don't commit yourself until you've explored

your options. Ask the advice of friendly, but disinterested businessmen and others who may be

knowledgeable of advertising and public relations. When you are ready to make a commitment, be prepared to gauge the response. Did the

ad bring a suitable response? If your phone did

ring off the hook, how many callers turned in

applications? Of those that did, how many became poll workers? And how many of those would

you want back again? The better you can track

these questions, the better position you will be

in to gauge the overall effectiveness of the advertising program and improve it the next time.

Samples of newspaper ads and free media are in

Appendix A-10 and A-11.

Recruiting Through Direct Mail

Recruiting qualified poll workers is difficult

enough for election officials, but building a team

composed of precinct residents for each polling

place is especially challenging. Some States require that poll workers be residents of the neighborhood they serve. Even when not required, election officials and poll workers alike generally

prefer neighbors serving neighbors. Not only is

it convenient for the worker to serve near home,

but the election process is benefited. With a team

of residents from that neighborhood serving,

there is a greater likelihood that poll workers will

know voters. More importantly, they may also

know who moved away and who passed away.

Recruiting poll workers in some precincts is

especially difficult. When this is the case for Dade

County election officials (in the Miami area), they

sometimes turn to the mail to help them target

their recruiting. They mail postcards containing

a recruitment message directly to all registered

voters in a limited number of precincts where they

have the most difficulty. In the 1996 primary election they used this technique in about two dozen

precincts. See Appendix A-12 for a sample of the

postcards.

Dade County officials report that this technique is very effective in producing poll workers.

It is, however, expensive. Although postcards can

be printed in-house using voter registration data,

mailing costs (even with bulk-mail discounts) can

quickly add up. Thus, Dade County officials limit

the use of this to areas most in need.

The costs of direct mail could be reduced by

targeting not only certain precincts, but certain

characteristics. For example, instead of mailing

to all registered voters, election officials could

send recruitment cards to just senior citizens in

a given precinct. If poll workers of a certain party

affiliation are sought in certain precincts, mailings could be limited to voters of that party. This

18
assumes that these characteristics are available

to the election office, presumably in a voter registration computer system. Limiting mailings in

this manner will reduce their effectiveness, but

it will also reduce costs.

Direct mail is used very effectively for poll

worker recruitment in other circumstances as

well. When election officials must mail other information to voters (or prospective voters), recruitment messages can be included. Several examples of this are covered below in "Piggy-Back

Techniques."

Piggy-Back Techniques

The name given to these recruiting techniques

is something less than exotic, but the they are

among the most powerful and cost-effective in this

publication. As the name implies, these techniques involve "piggy-backing" recruiting efforts

onto other functions that an election office already

performs. The addition of poll worker recruitment

messages may add very little cost. These techniques very widely in nature and some will not

be applicable to other jurisdictions since the underlying function may not be universally performed. However, all election offices can piggyback recruitment onto some other functions,

whether related to elections or not.

Voter Registration Acknowledgment

Notices

Election officials in Dade County plan to experiment this year with a novel method of piggy-backing. They are modifying their voter registration

acknowledgment notice from a single postcard to

a double, fold-over postcard. The additional part

will be a poll worker recruitment message. Interested voters may simply sign and return the

card, which will have the voter's name and address already printed on it (see Appendix A-13).

This will allow Miami area election officials to

mail a personalized (computer generated) recruitment message to every new (and updated) registrant in their jurisdiction. They will only have to

pay for a somewhat increased printing bill. Virtually no additional mailing, computer or staff

time will be required. Dade County officials are

excited about the potential of this innovation. It

is likely to be an effective and inexpensive tool

for them. Since most jurisdictions across the country also required to mail voter registration acknowledgments, this may be easily transferable

to other jurisdictions.

Voter Information Mailings

Some election offices are required to prepare and

mail sample ballots or other pre-election information to voters. These mailings are also fertile

ground for sewing recruitment seeds. County

election offices in California must mail sample

ballots and other election information to every

registered voter in their jurisdiction somewhere

between 10 and 40 days before the election. Election officials often place other official election

information in these mailings, including poll

worker recruiting pitches (see Appendix A-14).

California officials report that these are extremely

useful recruiting efforts and often their most effective means of obtaining new poll workers.

Voter Registration Form

Checkoff

Nearly all States have redesigned their registration forms since passage of the National Voter

Registration Act of 1993. In so doing, some jurisdictions have added the simple question to the

form: "Would you like to be a poll workers?" This

requires only about a square inch of often surplus

space, including the notation that answering the

question is optional. Making use of any "yes" responses is often left to the local jurisdiction.

In the District of Columbia, which may have

been the first jurisdiction in the nation to add

the recruitment question to registration forms,

officials usually find the effort very successful.

They note that the rate of "yes" responses, not

surprisingly, varies with the election cycle. When

voters submit forms, the registration division

19
notes "yes" responses for other staff, who then

mail poll worker information and application to

the voter. They report that maybe 10% of their

poll workers came from the checkoff.

Hamilton County, Indiana officials also look for

a "yes" check. One disadvantage to its use in Indiana is that there is no party registration. Therefore, if officials are seeking a Democrat in a particular precinct, the person that marked "yes"

would have to be called first to check party identification. However, a change in Indiana law now

allows election officials to fill poll worker vacancies during the week before the election without

regard to party affiliation.

Recruiting in Poll Places

A number of jurisdictions piggy-back recruiting efforts onto elections themselves. Poll workers are supplied with recruitment applications,

pamphlets, posters or similar displays on election day. As voters come through the polling place

they can take recruiting material. A more active

approach would be for poll officials to ask voters

whether they may be interested. An advantage

to recruiting in the polls is that your audience is

ideal: citizens who, by virtue of their presence,

feel strongly enough about elections to participate in them. Costs are minimal. The printing of

materials, much of which may already be designed will add some expense, but distribution is

free since your target audience comes to you. Visibility is a key. If voters are not individually asked

by poll workers about serving in future, then displays of material must be made visible to catch

the eye of voters who often tend to move through

the polls tuning out extraneous posters and leaflets being thrust at them. One Montana county

official is offering a gift certificate, paid for from

her personal funds, to the poll worker who finds

the most new recruits.

Non-election material can also be used for recruitment. Hawaii periodically adds a recruitment message to the pay stubs of State employees. Any time a law requires an election office to

mail something, to advertise something or to otherwise interact with the public, there is an opportunity to piggy-back a recruitment message

onto that function. Some election officials have

found these contacts to be an extremely cost-effective means of adding to their base of poll workers.

Recruiting Young People

The overwhelming majority of election officials

identify senior citizens as the core of their election day work force. The loyalty and experience

of this group has been one of the hallmarks in an

otherwise changing environment. But some election officials express concern about relying too

heavily on this group. In addition to realities of

the life cycle — the reality that these individuals

will eventually pass away — other concerns exist. Even for people in good health, poll work can

be grueling. Working 14 or 16 hours at a time

requires more stamina than many people can

muster, especially senior citizens.

With these thoughts in mind, some election

officials have experimented with recruiting young

people. "When I say 'y° u n g people,'" said one

Florida official mockingly, " I mean under the age

of 65." Indeed, one analysis in Sacramento County

indicated that the average age of poll workers

there was 63. Yet for purposes of this discussion

"young" means high school and college age.

Many of those experimenting with this age

group like what they are finding. There are many

variations on this theme, some of which will be

discussed below, but the State of Hawaii appears

to be the leader if this area.

Hawaii adopted a law in 1990 which aims specifically at recruiting 16 and 17 year olds as poll

workers. This law (found in Appendix A-15) allows this age group to pre-register to vote, qualifying them for poll work (the pre-registration

automatically adds the prospective voter to registration rolls when he or she becomes 18). Although few States authorize this practice, some

jurisdictions apply the same techniques to the

20
recruitment of 18 year olds. This discussion then

has relevance to all jurisdictions.

The feasibility of teenage precinct officials was

first tested in Hawaii's 1988 general election.

Approximately 300 young people were recruited,

trained and placed in polling places. Precinct

chairpersons evaluated their performance and

gave them an approval rating of 96%. The legislation allowing 16 and 17 year olds to pre-register and work at the polls then passed with ease

in 1990. Today, about 800 of Hawaii's 4,650 poll

workers are 16 to 18 years of age — 17%. One

official said that most new poll workers now come

from the high schools or colleges.

The State elections office in Hawaii staffs the

polls of Oahu, the largest island with a majority

of the State's poll workers. They recruit from local high schools as well as the University of Hawaii largely through class presentations by the

office's Voter Services Section. These presentations, which may focus generally on voter education, include a brief description of poll work Anyone wishing to submit their name is encouraged

to do so by completing the "May We Count on You"

form (see Appendix A-16). This form is distributed before or during the presentation and is collected afterwards. The audience may also mail

in the forms later.

Recruitment of the young in Hawaii is also

done through mailings to schools, including the

student activity offices of colleges and universities (see Appendix A-17). These mailings includes

fact sheets and return mailers.

Hawaii's success with the young may also be

linked to its training. All precinct officials in

Hawaii must attend a training session, pass a

written examination, and be certified to work at

the polls. First time workers can also be paired

with more experienced workers on election day.

California law, as of April 1996, does not allow

for "under age" poll workers. However, State and

local election officials are supporting State legislation, AB 1856 (see Appendix A-18). This legislation, in a recent draft, would allow up to two

students who are at least 16 years of age, to work

on each precinct board. The proposal specifies,

among other things, that the students must be

citizens, and have a grade point average of 2.5

on a 4.0 scale. These students would not be permitted to tally votes. Other related State statutes are found in Appendices A-19 throughA-21.

Although as of this writing, the California proposal is still under consideration, several counties in the State have been successfully cultivating 18 year olds as poll workers. Yolo County began recruiting 18 year old registered seniors in

June 1994. In addition to increasing the numbers of poll workers, their program was intended

to provide hands-on experience to high school

seniors. They designed their program to provide

"visible role models" for other students in the

county. They did this by providing what some believe to be the first fully student staffed polling place

in the State - and perhaps the nation. The experience in Yolo County was so positive, that the county

clerk/recorder issued a news release which he made

available on the Internet. The news release describes more fully the experience in Yolo County

and is available in Appendix A-22.

Other California counties are pursuing this as

well. Among them are Sacramento and Sonoma

Counties, both of which are planning all-student

staffed polling places in 1996, as well as sprinkling students throughout other polling places.

Publicity is a key reason for the all-student precinct. News organizations look with interest on

this. The subsequent publicity helps generate

more interest and participation from students as

well as their teachers. One county official also

hopes the publicity will prompt a more cooperative attitude from school administrators, many

of whom have been reluctant to allow excused

absences for student poll workers.

Connecticut statutes, like Hawaii, allow for 16

and 17 year old poll workers. But the Connecticut

law limits underage poll workers to certain positions: machine tenders and unofficial checkers. The

21
town of Vernon has found these high school students to be a good source of poll work. The registrar of voters recruits students through the high

school civics department, which advertises poll

work through social studies teachers. Interested

students contact the town registrar, who explains

the program and invites them to go through

training.

Yet another variation on this theme comes in

the form of high school and college students doing poll work in exchange for class credit. Several jurisdictions reported working with teachers or professors in such a partnership. While

officials in Chicago are pleased to find any poll

workers they can get their hands on, their experience with college credit leads them to wonder if

the motivation is sufficient. Some students simply do not show up. Yet the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, which was still short thousands of poll workers only a few weeks before its

1996 presidential preference primary, lacks the

luxury of being too choosy. Because of their concerns about these students showing up, they instead used them as "standby judges." The students are asked to report to City Hall at 5 A.M.

on election day, where they dispatched, along with

field investigators, to polling places plagued with

"no-shows" of assigned personnel. Chicago uses

other categories of workers in this standby capacity as well. See "Alternates and Standbys" for

additional discussion on this.

There is a wide range of opinions about the

use of young people as poll workers. One thing

that is clear is that, like the elderly, the young

comprise a demographic group that is ripe for

cultivating as poll workers. Hawaii's statistic of

17% makes the young a significant, and apparently well regarded, pool of workers that other

jurisdictions will have to consider. Yolo County,

California, with only a few years of experience

and lacking the ability to use underage workers,

already reports that 7% of their poll workers are

high school seniors. These are significant numbers. In an age where election officials respond

to the question: "Where do you get your poll workers" with the answer: "Anywhere I can find them,"

then this is a group worth examining.

Some election officials question whether they

can rely on the dependability of the young.

Chicago's experience with students working for

college credit is an example of this. An Iowa

county official also has had poor experience: "We

have had very poor luck with (college) student

poll workers. Relative to retired workers, they

have proven to be much less reliable, prone to

make many more errors, and have been much

less serious about the work. I would still take

any enterprising student who wanted to work in

a student precinct, but have grown more skeptical about actively recruiting students who aren't

highly motivated."

Yet the experience in Hawaii, Connecticut, and

California is in stark contrast to this. Officials

from these jurisdictions are excited about their

successes with students and are building the

young into a key component of their election day

work force. What are the differences? Why does

it work so well for some — and so poorly for others?

There are several things that appear to separate these few instances of good and bad experiences. The good experiences are largely with high

school students who have been recruited in conjunction with high school civics classes. While these

students do receive pay, many of them appear to

be primarily motivated, according to election officials, by the activity rather than the money. A State

official in Hawaii believes the key is to get students

who are "involved" — motivated by factors other

than money. The registrar in Vernon, Connecticut

echoed this theme when she said she said she tries

to find kids that "not only need the money, but are

responsible." The role of the high school teacher

may also be a significant one in this regard, with

the teacher attempting to frame the work in the

proper perspective. Perhaps this lesson is a more

timely one for high school students who, when reinforced in the classroom and hopefully at home,

are better able to follow through with the responsibilities of poll work. This reinforcement and enthu22
siasm may be more difficult once a student leaves

home. But much of this is conjecture and the reader

should hesitate to draw final conclusions from these

few examples.

Another concern sometimes heard by election

officials about young people is that their service

as poll workers is more likely to be a one time

shot. "They are not a real solid base," says one

county clerk from the west who steers clear of

college students for that reason. Yet the same

clerk was enthusiastic about high school students

as poll workers. Perhaps the distinction is that

through voter education programs with local high

schools, election officials hope to see a pool of

workers develop that may continue to serve the

community. Even if some of the participating students eventually leave the community, the pool

can replenished itself with new high school students. Programs focusing on college students can

theoretically work, but they often lack several

elements that are easier to come by with high

school programs: (1) the ability to establish an

on-going program that satisfies both the election

department's needs for motivated workers as well

as the school's needs for teaching civic values to

students, and (2) students with lasting ties to the

community. Also, the civic involvement is perhaps

more timely for high school students who are just

coming "of age" in terms of electoral participation.

Election officials who have worked with young

people sing several praises about the qualities of

this group as poll workers. One local official prefers younger poll workers. The elderly, she finds,

sometimes have difficulty seeing, hearing or staying awake. Sometimes they come for the social

life. "It is different with the young," she says.

"They come for the work. They are into it."

They also are likelier to have the stamina for

it. Officials in Hawaii and elsewhere report, not

surprisingly, that young people are better able to

withstand the very long hours required for election day work.

The registrar in Vernon, Connecticut offers

another observation about the young. Younger

poll workers are much more comfortable with the

technology that is finding it way into many polling places. Some older workers lack the experience and comfort with computers and other hightech tools that are being used in more and more

precincts.

Working with the young may not be a panacea

for the poll worker starved election officials. But

young people may offer the best opportunity for

election officials to bring in a new demographic

group into poll work. Remember that the young

now comprise 17% of Hawaii poll work force. Keep

your eyes on that prize.

The Omaha Draft

It is the ultimate solution. Or is it? In Douglas

County, Nebraska (Omaha area) poll workers are

drafted. Actually, their system more closely resembles a summons for jury duty than military

conscription. Registered voters are chosen at random and sent notices requiring them to serve as

a poll worker for four elections (over an indefinite period of time). At the end of their fourth

election, they can no longer be required to serve

as a poll worker.

Upon first learning of the Douglas County approach, I assumed that it was a recently designed

response to the poll worker recruitment problem.

Not so, according to the election commissioner.

The "draft" began in 1914 as part of a legislative

response to election corruption. Machine politicians of that era controlled the county election

office and its poll workers. When ballots did not

result in the outcome desired by the machine,

they were replaced by manufactured ballots. To

help assure that poll workers were honest, representing the community at-large, the 1914 law

established the draft as a new method for poll

worker appointment in Douglas County.

As the law stands today, draftees are not subjected to wage loss for poll work during these four

elections. The county pays minimum wage to poll

workers and employers are expected to make up

23
any difference without penalty to the worker (see

Appendix A-23). People may be excused only for

need, by convincing the election commissioner of

a hardship. More than likely the person will be

asked to find a registered voter to substitute or

to work with an absentee board.

Yet even with this rare power to draft poll workers, the Douglas County Election Commissioner

sounded no less weary from poll worker related

problems than did her counterparts around the

country. Overall, she says, the draft is a good

method for getting people to serve. But even with

its advantages, it is not without problems. Having people back out at the last minute, or simply

not show up, is still a problem. Excuses can be

flimsy. Although criminal penalties exist for offenders, county attorneys have thus far not pursued action against anyone. Draft administration,

like traditional poll worker recruiting, can be time

consuming.

The laws that pertain to election service in

Douglas County contribute to another problem:

the lack of institutionalized experience. The

county does have a pool of non-drafted, experienced poll workers, but this base is down to under 20% of their election day work force. It had

been as high as 50%. The remaining 80% of poll

workers are inducted into service and must be

trained from scratch. After the required service

of four elections, inducted poll workers are no

longer given the day off with pay by their employers. In the absence of this bonus, most choose

not to continue their service as poll workers when

their "stint" in the service is up. Yet while this

does create a need for a strong training program,

it does not necessarily lead to disaster. In a recent election in Douglas County, it was noted that

of four significant polling place problems, three

involved veteran workers and only one could be

blamed on a draftee. Experienced people are

sometimes slow to accept changes in the law. New

recruits, be they volunteers or draftees, may be

more trainable than those who believe they already know what needs to be known.

Douglas County's draft also appears to provides

them with a better cross-section of the community, meaning younger workers, among other

things. This has been helpful said the county's

election commissioner.

The poll worker draft has not eliminated the

recruitment problem for Douglas County election

officials. "It is still a constant battle to get people

to meet civic duties including both poll work and

jury duty," they say. It does, however, provide

them with a unique tool and they admit they are

better off than some jurisdictions. One wonders

how refinements, geared more to dealing with

today's problems, would affect the draft. Perhaps

a poll worker draft and jury duty pools could

somehow be combined, with citizens being able

to choose a service. Perhaps pay incentives could

be built in, encouraging workers to return voluntarily. The "Omaha Draft" might be considered

an extreme method of "recruiting" poll workers,

but when tempered with the flexibility and incentives, it may be an idea worth exploring for

lawmakers in some jurisdictions.

Standbys and Alternates

The development and skillful use of a pool of

standby election day workers can be an extraordinary benefit to election administrators. Having trained standby and alternate workers available for quick dispatch on election day when the

inevitable reports come in that expected poll

workers did not show up is not only good management, but it is good medicine. It reduces stress

in election officials and helps avoid blood pressure spikes in voters who tend to dislike being

locked out of their poll.

There are two general approaches: "standby

workers" who are trained and told to report to

the central election office early on election morning, usually about the time that poll workers are

due to arrive at their designated polls. "Alternates" are designated, trained people who agree

to be "on call" at their home for a period of time

24
on election day. These prospective workers are

guaranteed a minimum amount of compensation

for being available. There must also be a mechanism in place to allow them to vote on or before

election day, presumably by absentee ballot.

Election officials in Naples, Florida say this is

a survival technique for them, one they've been

using since 1984. They know from historical

tracking approximately how many "no-shows" to

expect on election day and they build a standby

pool of about 40 people. They guarantee all of

their standbys at least $25 just for going through

training and being on call until 8 A.M.. But the

reality is that their standbys can expect to work

and be paid the normal rate for doing so. Some are

assigned before election day to fill gaps created as

some regular poll workers find that they are unable to work. Others are assigned to polls on election morning to fill in for no-shows. Any remaining

people are given work in the central office processing absentees ballots. They rarely have more than

two or three doing so. Thus, almost everyone in

their standby pool works a full day and is paid accordingly. Only a few times since 1984 have standbys collected just the minimum $25.

The State of Hawaii uses both standbys and

alternates. They develop a standby pool of about

150 people which usually shrinks to about 100

by election day due to attrition and pre-election

day assignments. These people report to a central location on election morning where they are

dispatched as needed. In the event they are not

used, standbys are still paid a full day's pay —

but that has never happened. They usually run

out of standbys. Alternates in Hawaii are used

in the less populated islands, which are too distant from election central for timely dispatch of

standbys. Alternates are guaranteed $5 for being on call all day. In practice, if they are needed,

they are generally called early in the day. Of

course, if called to work they are paid the full

rate instead.

Chicago officials add an interesting twist to

their use of standbys. As reported above, Chicago

suffers from severe poll worker shortages. They

often have offers from colleges professors to use

students as poll workers on election day. While

such assistance is needed, experience has made

officials there uneasy about whether college students in these circumstances will show up. Instead of turning down the assistance or making

questionable assignments to polling places, Chicago officials include these students in their

standby pool. The students and other standbys

are trained and asked to report to election central at 5 A.M. on election morning to be dispatched

as needed, accompanied perhaps by field investigators. Standbys are sometimes considered special judges or agents of the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners, which allows them fill in

without the required party designation. Also invited to serve as standbys are poll worker applicants who could not get assignment to their preferred precinct. Other trained workers who could

not be reached in time for an assignment may

also may be asked to join in standby capacity.

Election officials in Washington, D.C. strive to

have one or two alternates for each precinct. They

are paid only for training ($10), unless needed to

work.

Election officials who efficiently use standbys

and/or alternates quickly learn to love them. They

are friends indeed. Granted, these workers must

be recruited before election day, adding to the

demand for finding workers. But many officials

prefer to deal with this in a semi-organized manner well before election day rather than frantically grabbing any warm body at 5:45 A.M. on

election morning. And, like Chicago officials, the

standby pool is a logical holding pen for prospective workers who may be unable or unwilling to

make a work commitment in a timely way.

Guaranteeing money, even a small amount, to

workers that may be unneeded may make some

election officials wary. But skillful management

of human resources may reduce this "insurance

premium" to zero dollars. Besides, how many jurisdictions wind up with too many workers on

25
election day? It might be a nice problem to have

for a change, but chances are the standbys will

all be hard at work by 7 A.M. and you will wish

you had more.

The Care and Feeding of Your

Base

As the number of poll workers in a jurisdiction

shrinks, election officials develop a greater appreciation for those experienced people who return election after election. As this appreciation

increases, several jurisdictions are being more

attentive to these regulars.

Attentiveness may take several different

forms; and recognition is one of them. In late

1994, at a Statewide meeting of election officials,

three long-serving poll workers, representing

more than 150 years of continuous service among

them, were honored for their service. The ensuing half-page article in the State's largest newspaper the next day included a photograph and

headline: "Elections' Selfless, Unsung Heroes."

Many other poll workers who saw the article

could take pride in it themselves. Local recognition of poll workers would likely be equally if not

more effective in honoring these people.

Remembering poll workers at times other than

elections is another means of attentiveness. The

District of Columbia is among those jurisdictions

that send poll workers a periodic newsletter (see

Appendix A-24). The newsletter includes election

news, training reminders, deadline information

and invitations to work again.

Poll workers can also be good sources of recruiting additional poll workers. They frequently

mix with other people who share common interests and they can often be good salespeople for

the job if it is one that they enjoy. Thus some election officials frequently encourage their regular

poll workers to recruit new ones. Staying in contact with your base of workers and making sure

that they have at least several poll workers applications on hand can be helpful in this effort.

Many jurisdictions, where laws allow, offer

precinct captains the first opportunity of assembling their own team. As one official put it, "Since

they don't want incompetent people helping them

on election day, they are a good source for new

recruits." Where statutes give political parties

first staffing priority, veteran workers can be offered a secondary role in filling gaps. Letting a

precinct team build itself, using veteran poll

workers as the core of the team has been an effective means of recruiting for some jurisdictions.

Having names, addresses and phone numbers

of previous poll workers well organized in a data

base or on mailing lists can greatly facilitate contact with your core workers. In Hawaii ( a jurisdiction that offers priority to party appointments)

election officials know that parties will likely account for only about 14% of all poll workers. The

election office sends a mailing to all previous

workers six months before an election inviting

them to work and includes a postage-paid return

card. Thus, Hawaii officials begin preliminary

staffing of the polls well before their peak time,

and concentrate on filling gaps as the election

approaches. They know that most poll workers

will come from their core of veterans.

Where political parties are primary sources of

poll workers, some election officials have experimented with ways of helping the parties perform

that role. Again, a data base or some other organized list of previous workers for that party, including addresses and phone numbers, might help party

officials do a more complete and timely job in making their appointments. Such a list might even go

further, to include names of other prospective workers that the election office has assembled.

Officials in many jurisdictions have watched

their core workers shrink with time. Consider

using this core, as others have, for advice and

feedback on election day service. They may know

better than anyone in the election office how best

to recruit and retain workers like themselves.

26
Working in Shifts

To many, the idea of poll work is appealing:

although the pay is often nominal, it is a chance

to interact with neighbors for a day and to participate in one of the most basic and important

community functions. But for many, the allure

fades when they learn that they must show up

for work at 5 A.M. and, if all goes smoothly, they

might be home 15 hours later.

It seems likely that more people would consider poll work if they could work something less

than a 12 or 15 hour day. In that regard, several

jurisdictions have experimented with shifts: allowing people to work for only part of the day.

But it is not an idea that is sweeping the nation. As appealing as working only part of an election day may be to some poll workers, election

administrators shudder at the prospect of having to recruit twice as many workers to work the

other half of the day.

But don't turn the page too quickly on this one.

A few jurisdictions have experimented with multiple shifts — and say that it can work, although

some have kept the program limited.

One place where shifts are widely used is Lewis

and Clark County, Montana (Helena area). Their

experience is good. The State of Montana, in 1993,

amended a statute to allow workers to perform

less than a full day of poll work (see Appendix A25). Although many Montana counties, lacking

workers, have not used shifts, the election administrator in Lewis and Clark County finds

them helpful. She says there are many more

people able and willing to work half an election

day than a full one — and this more than offsets

the additional people needed. Many of her poll

workers are seniors and simply would not be able

to last from 6 A.M. until 9 or 10 P.M. She offers

two shifts, one starting at 6 A.M. and ending at 2

P.M. The second beginning at 1:30 P.M., and lasting through the close and dismantling of the polls.

Chief judges (their highest ranking polling

place official) must work an entire day. Some others choose to do so and are offered encouragement and gratitude for it. But of approximately

250 poll workers, 60-65% work a half day — which

is still eight hours long. Many of those that prefer a half day are motivated by factors other than

money. Compensation even for a full day is not

that great, so those looking for income would usually not opt for half a day since poll workers there

are paid an hourly rate.

The county has yet to have a problem with second shift no-shows. Thus far when some one is

late or cannot show up as planned, he or she has

provided enough warning for officials to move

help from another location. The county also has

a special services team in a county car with a

cellular phone to assist with polling place difficulties, including personnel shortages.

Other Montana Counties have been reluctant

to use shifts. "I just don't have the number of

workers to allow people to work shifts," says a

Yellowstone County official. He also worries about

second shifters failing to show. Another county

official in Montana says that many of her workers are motivated in part by earning money. A

half day's work does not bring home much bacon.

An official in yet another county said she would

consider shifts for interested poll workers if they

find their own partners.

In Montana's Judith Basin County a second

shift of workers is used for the vote tabulation.

In three of the four polling places, a counting team

arrives at 4 P.M. and remain until tabulation is

completed. The regular shift in these precincts

works from setup until 8 P.M., when the polls

close. This approach of bringing in a fresh team to

tally the vote was used sometimes in Chicago, before they converted to a punchcard voting system.

In Washington, D.C., "The main issue is dependability," says an election administrator. She

says that in some wealthier parts of the city they

have difficulty getting people to work all day.

Money is not an attraction in these precincts. Poll

workers enjoy the interaction with their neighbors, but they have other things they also want

27
to do. So in about a dozen of the 140 or so precincts in Washington, election officials have experimented with shifts. They report that it tends

to work when precinct workers are well coordinated in a team effort. The key is that the second

shift must be dependable enough to show up.

As in Montana, split shifts do not apply to precinct captains (the chief poll workers). The continuity of having the same manager preside over a

poll operation all day is highly valued. But certain clerical positions on precinct boards are more

suitable to split shifts.

"Well coordinated in a team effort" is a phrase

that also describes the only circumstances in

which Ventura County, California election officials allow split shifts. As described above in "Recruiting through Fundraising and Civic Action,"

Ventura County officials involve civic organizations in "adopt-a-precinct" programs. An organization, after undergoing training, agrees to completely staff and operate one or more polling

places. While the county election administrator

normally discourages split shifts, in circumstances where a club or organization is making a

team effort, he feels differently. "There is more

pressure for a person to show up as promised, he

says, and if one does not, the club makes the effort to get someone else." The club might have 10

people throughout the day operating a polling

place, where four people would otherwise be normal. Precinct inspectors also remain all day.

Not many States allow split shifts of poll workers. In those that do, many election officials are

reluctant to use it. But, like other techniques,

there are times when shifts, used judiciously, can

be a benefit to all concerned. As State laws become more flexible, experimentation with shifts

is likely to increase and become yet another tool

for election officials to use in expanding the base

of poll workers.

Additional Thoughts

The Impact of Technology

Polling places, like the rest of the planet, are

gradually growing more high-tech. Lever machines are giving way to computerized, electronic

systems. Old fashioned poll books are being replaced by computer printouts, and in some places

by computers. Poll clerks in some places are now

asked to "capture" signatures for "retrieval systems." This use of technology will not only continue, but will accelerate.

Technology can be a double-edged sword to poll

workers. To some people, especially elderly, technology is sometimes viewed as just one more unwelcome change in the polling place.

The experience in Burton, Michigan is different however. This community of 18,000 voters

began using computer verification at the polls.

The recently retired municipal clerk reports that

the change excited poll workers there. They began with one precinct and the others requested

the technology as well. In addition to the apparent popularity of the computers and ability to

greatly reduce error rates, the city was able to

reduce the number of precincts from 23 to eight

— and the number of needed poll workers of

course dropped as well.

Technology has been a friend to some in Allen

County, Indiana. At one time, poll workers there,

after showing up for duty at 5 A.M., were expected

to tabulate absentee votes from paper ballots after the polls closed at 6 P.M.. Recently, the county

transferred their absentees to an optical scan

system which automatically tabulates the votes

at a central location. Poll workers can now go

home earlier.

Vernon, Connecticut officials have not only

experimented with technology in the polls, but

have also taken to employing youthful poll workers, as noted above in "Recruiting Young People."

The registrar of voters there notes that high

school poll workers are especially good with polling place technology, better than older workers.

28
The Role of Training

Poll worker training is beyond the scope of this

publication — except for one point. As poll work

becomes more complex, so training becomes more

and more important. It has always been important to having a successful election day, but it is

now more important in attracting and retaining

poll workers. Bruce Bradley, Assistant Registrar

of Voters in Ventura County California says it

best:

"If you will give me your time and effort as

an election worker, I will make sure that it

is a positive experience for you. One way of

doing that is to get you properly trained.

We used to do a 45 minute slide show and

everyone would nod off. Now we have much

more intensive training with no more than

24 in a class. We divide them up into boards,

do a general instruction, include role playing and try to present them with every situation they could run into in the polling place.

That's a key. In exchange for their effort,

we give them the training and tools they

need to feel comfortable at the polling place.

The people who don't come back again (to

poll work) are those who do not feel comfortable — who don't know what they are

doing. So the better I train them, the more

likely they are to come back."

Training is a tremendous drain for Bradley's

staff. Before a recent election his staff ran a class

every morning and every afternoon, four days a

week for about six weeks. But their workers like

it. Not all are required to attend — but most ask

to do so.

Knowing Your Attrition Rates

Veteran election officials have learned to look

for patterns over time. As disappointing as it is

when assigned poll workers back out a day before the election or simply fail to show, we all

know that it happens. Seasoned election officials

know that not only is the phenomena predictable, but so is the number.

For example, many election officials know from

experience and observation what percentage of

their poll workers from the previous general election will agree to work in the next primary, and

then how many of those will work again in the

general election. If historically, 55% of your workers from the last election return, then you can

predict that 45% will need to be replaced with

new recruits, plus any new positions that were

created since then. If you know that historically

25% of the poll workers you have in place for any

given election will either back out after appointment or not show up, then you can plan accordingly with a sufficient number of standbys and

alternates (see "Standbys and Alternates" above).

This knowledge does not prevent bad things from

happening to good people. But it does give good

administrators information they need to avoid

last minute surprises.

This is far from an exact science and it probably works better in larger jurisdictions with

higher numbers of workers. And too, the percentages may fluctuate within an election cycle (e.g.

a jurisdiction might have a higher attrition rate

during a municipal primary than in a presidential general election). Nevertheless anticipating

these attrition rates is a useful planning tool.

Screening Techniques

Jurisdictions that use advertising or other

mass appeals for poll workers frequently need a

method for screening applicants. For example,

sample ballot mailings in Sacramento County

contain poll worker applications and are an important source for new recruits. Officials there

schedule a "recruitment day" following the

sample ballot mailing and applicants are channeled into this meeting. During this orientation

session, applicants are told about poll work followed by a little written test. This tells the staff

whether the applicant can read, write, and follow instructions. The staff also mingles with the

group. With the aid of both the test and the personal contact, officials can assess applicants. In

a recent session, they had 105 people attend the

29
orientation. The staff determined that 75 of these

were suitable for inspector, 4 unsuitable, and the

balance qualified to serve as judges. For additional

information on screening, see Appendix A-26.

The Role of Money

Does paying more help? Sometimes. When the

Iowa legislature allowed county governments to

establish their own poll worker compensation

levels, one county raised its poll worker's pay from

$3.50 an hour to $6.00. "This made recruiting

much easier," reported the county election administrator. But that is a 71% increase. Not many of

us can get that kind of jump in budgets. Lesser

increases seem to help some, but do not offer the

kind of dramatic assist that is needed to boost

recruitment..

Some Connecticut poll workers appear to be

among the best paid in the nation. However, said

one assistant registrar, "the most difficult thing

we do here is get poll workers." Another Connecticut official said, "At one time, good pay would get

good poll workers... This is not always so now a

days." So it seems that compensation is only part

of the solution to getting qualified workers.

30
Putting Things

Into Perspective

Let's face it. The poll worker recruitment problem is really as much about economics as it is

elections. It is a classic supply and demand problem. David Burress, a research economist with

the Institute for Public Policy and Business Research at the University of Kansas, said that one

approach to the problem is to increase the supply of labor — perhaps teenagers could be made

eligible for poll work (see "Recruiting Young

People"). "But basically, " he said, "the problem

is that the current wages are too low for such a

job. It is day labor with no fringe benefits and

fairly boring work. You are just going to have to

pay more."

From an economist's view, Burress says, there

is certainly some wage rate high enough to fill

the posts. The problem is that "government is

being too cheap because it is used to relying on

underpaid help." Theoretically he is right of

course. However, Burress and the rest of us know

that local governments are not going to allow poll

worker compensation to climb to whatever point

eliminates the recruitment problem.

This means that election administrators must

continue to work on both the supply and demand

sides of the problem. We need to increase the

supply of poll workers — and at the same time,

attempt to decrease demand for them.

We increase the supply in several ways discussed in this publication. First, we reward poll

workers better to attract more. Money is one significant way of doing this. "There is a cultural

change going on," says Michael Downs, a political science professor and veteran election official.

"At one time people were attracted to poll work

due both to considerable civic virtue as well as

an interest in politics. These incentives are fading so we must respond by making the job more

attractive. Pay is one to do this," says Downs.

"But not the only one."

Making the job more comfortable for poll workers is another. Effective and skillful training, as

discussed above by Ventura County's Bruce Bradley helps to promote this - as does more manageable hours offered by working in shifts.

Streamlining procedures and eliminating unnecessary paperwork also serve to eliminate job frustration. Recognition and gratitude can also be a

reward for service, as can involving poll workers in

decisions and seeking their input and assistance.

Other means of increasing the supply of poll

workers include expanding eligibility and reaching out to prospective workers in new ways. Many

such innovations are described above.

Decreasing the need for poll workers can perhaps be accomplished by more efficient precinct

board structures, eliminating unnecessary polling places and better use of technology.

To accomplish these things, State and local

election officials must work together with lawmakers and others to overhaul statutes and pro31
cedures. Recruitment challenges are as much a

problem for State governments as they are for

local ones.

Local election officials may have to approach

the challenge in new ways as well. Some may

benefit by initiating a task force or some other

wide-ranging discussion of the problem. Brainstorming with political party representatives,

veteran poll workers, election staff and other

advisors may point out problems and opportunities within a local jurisdiction.

As we approach the next century, it is apparent

that meeting the challenges of poll worker recruiting will require much more staff time, professionalism and year-round effort. Experimenting with

new methods of reaching out to the communities

we serve — and learning from one another's efforts — will be important keys to success.

32
Acknowledgments

As a State director of elections, I dreaded being on the receiving end of surveys. These questionnaires would frequently ripen in my in-basket for embarrassingly long times. Poetic justice

would have been served had my surveys for this

project met similar fates.

Yet election officials from all over North

America responded graciously not only to my

surveys, but to my faxes, telephone calls and email. Even those administrators who were neck

deep in presidential primary planning took time

to talk and help in this effort.

In that regard this publication was written by

many people. I thank them all for their assistance

and friendliness. I also acknowledge with appreciation the work of others that preceded this:

Janet McKee and Emmett Fremaux among others. Also making this work easier were the

Internet tools established by Edward Packard for

election officials.

I am also indebted to Bill Kimberling and other

friends at the Federal Election Commission's

Office of Election Administration for their patience and guidance with this project.

33

Appendices

Index to Appendices

A-1 Minnesota statute: time off for poll workers

Indiana_statutes: independeni^contractoxstatus

]Ohio task force report: excerpts

A-4 jCalifomia task force report: excerpts

A-5 [Samples of flyers, kiosk & counter displays

A-6 Internet: World Wide Web page

A-7 Telephone book insert (Sacramento County, California)

A-8

A-10

Ventura County's "Count Me In" materials

Hawaii: Law and materials concerning non-profit fundraisers

Samples of newspaper advertising

A-11 jExample of freeji

A-12 jDirect mail postcards (Dade County, Florida)

A-1J3 X/oteT registration confirmation piggy-back (Dade County, Florida

A-14 jPage from voter information mailing (Alameda County, California)

A-15 Hawaii statute: 16 & 17 year olds

j A-16 jHawaii application: "May We Count on You in '96?"

! A-17 [Hawaii's recruitment letter to student activities offices

A-18 jCalifomia proposed statute: AB 1856 concerning 16 & 17

jConnecticu j t statute: 16 & 17 year olds

A-20 |Minnesota statute: 16 & 17 year olds

A-21 [Indiana statute: excused absences for students

A-22 fciews release describing high school poll workers (Yolo County, California)

A-23 jNebraska statute concerning Douglas County's draft; also letter to draftee

A-24 iNewsletter for poll workers (Washington, DC.)

A-25 ^Montana statute concerning working in shifts

Ai26 jScreeningJestXSacrarnentq. C^ntyj ^

A-27 [AyeragejTumber of_p_ollLwor

__A^28 [Pol [ l worker compensation (sampling)

^

35
Statute: Time Off for Poll Workers

-- Minnesota—

204B.195: Time off from work to serve as election judge.

An individual who is selected to serve as an election judge pursuant to section 204B.21,

subdivision 2 may, after giving an employer at least 20 days' written notice, be absent from a

place of work for the purpose of serving as an election judge without penalty. An employer may

reduce the salary or wages of an employee serving as an election judge by the amount paid to

the election judge by the appointing authority during the time the employee was absent from the

place of employment.

The written request to be absent from work must be accompanied by a certification from the

appointing authority stating the hourly compensation to be paid the employee for service as an

election judge and the hours during which the employee will serve. An employer may restrict the

number of persons to be absent from work for the purpose of serving as an election judge to no

more than 20 percent of the total workforce at any single worksite.

HIST: 1983 c 126 s 2, 1986 c 444, 1991 c 237 s 3

Helping to Make Poll Workers Available This law enables poll workers (called "judges" in

Minnesota) to get off work without penalty. See discussion in "Availability" under "The Role of

States" in the main text.

Appendix A-1
Statutes Affecting Independent Contractor Status

-- Indiana ~

In the state election code:

IC 3-6-6-37 Sec. 37. (a) When the county election board (or a precinct election board

acting on behalf of the county election board) appoints a precinct election officer and the

individual accepts the appointment by swearing the oath of office required under this chapter, a

contract is created between the county election board and the individual in which the county

election board retains the services of the precinct election officer as an independent contractor,

(b) The appointment of a precinct election officer expires when the county election board

completes the canvass of the precinct under IC 3-12-4.

In the state tax code:

IC 6-3-4-8 Sec. 8.... (d) A county that makes payments of wages subject to tax under IC 6-3 :(1)

to a precinct election officer (as defined in IC 3-5-2-40.1), and (2) for the performance of the

duties of the precinct election officer imposed by IC 3 that are performed on election day; is not

required, at the time of payment of the wages, to deduct and retain from the wages the amount

prescribed in withholding instructions issued by the department.

Tax Status. This Indiana law includes 1995 amendments designed to clarify that poll workers are

independent contractors and as such are not subject to tax withholding by federal, state or local

entities. A similar exclusion is included is a Indiana's statute pertaining to unemployment

compensation. See discussion in "Role of States" under independent contractor status.

Appendix A-2
Ohio Task Force

— 1995 Pollworker Training Task Force ~

Preface

The members of the Pollworker Training Task Force are pleased to present to Ohio Secretary of State Bob

Taft the following Report and Recommendations of the Pollworker Training Task Force. In January of this year,

Secretary Taft charged the members of this committee with the following objectives:

1. Review the current statutory provisions concerning appointment, training, and compensation of

precinct elections officials;

2 Review the methods used by boards of elections to recruit precinct elections officials;

3 Study the adequacy of compensation for precinct elections officials including compensation for

training;

4. Study existing programs and develop new proposals to enhance recruitment of qualified precinct

elections officials.

The task force conducted its first meeting on February 10. 1995. At that meeting, Secretary Taft stressed

the importance of finding new ways in which to attract and retain pollworkers. The task force then discussed this

issue basing their comments on their own experience and opinions

Recommendations

A. Revise R.C. 3501.28 to eliminate the $70 maximum payment and provide that boards of elections and the

county commissioners set the pay rate or revise R.C. 3502 28 to allow boards of elections to pay more than the $70

maximum payment with the approval of the county commissioners.

B. Decrease the responsibilities of pollworkers by eliminating such legal requirements as the posting and marking

registration lists of persons who have voted at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at primary and general elections. (3503.23)

Pollworkers have expressed opinions with the boards that election law is becoming too complicated with too many

procedures to follow.

C. Expand the provisions of absentee voting in Chapter 3509 of the Revised Code to include voting until 4 p.m. on

the Monday before an election and allow persons to cast an absentee ballot for "no reason." This would provide that

any voter who does not want to go to his polling place because of long lines, parking problems or just for

convenience may vote at the board by mail.

D. Propose the Secretary of State request the definition of "political activity" for classified employees be redefined

to exclude working at the polls as a "political activity." Boards have stated that they have city and county workers

willing to work, but are unable to serve as pollworkers because it considered to be "political activity "

E. Encourage recruitment programs for high school students to serve as pollworkers. The task force members

recommend that the Secretary of State's office provide information to all boards on successful recruitment

programs.

F. Request the Secretary of State's office develop a program and work with county board of elections to encourage

businesses to participate in "Community Service" projects for recruitment of pollworkers.

G Propose the Secretary of State's office develop a manual of basic instructions for pollworkers which would be

applicable to all voting systems. The task force members recommend that the manual be easy to follow and provide

clear instructions. The members also suggested developing a training test based upon the instruction manual to be

given to pollworkers would be a helpful training tool.

Appendix A-3
The above listed recommendations are the main ideas the task force members agree would assist the most

in recruiting and training of pollworkers. Other suggestions which could also prove useful to boards, were: video of

different problems that could occur on election day and how to handle them, video of instruction for each type of

voting system, and mail elections.

Shorter hours was also mentioned as a possible solution to recruiting pollworkers, but a majority of the

members did not believe this to be a major contributing factor to pollworker recruitment problems. Several

members expressed their concern for electors working long hours or commuting long distances who may find it

difficult to vote if there are shorter poll hours. Ten percent of the survey respondents did mention shorter hours as a

possible incentive for recruiting and training pollworkers. Split-shifts was discussed, but not recommended as a

possible solution to the problem.

Transportation problems was a concern of several boards. They were able to find persons willing to work

the polls, but the persons had no means of transportation to and from the polls. Members suggested the possible use

of a county car or van or donated services from bus or cab companies.

Conclusion

The Pollworker Training Task Force has reviewed all statutory provisions of the Revised Code which

relate to appointing, training and compensating precinct election officials. The report provides a summary of each

section of the code which is applicable. Attached [in the complete Ohio report] are copies of the code sections

separated under their appropriate headings for the review.

Current methods of recruiting were obtained from the county boards of elections. There are currently eight

different methods being utilized by the boards. [These included: political parties, newspaper advertising,

recommendations from current pollworkers, flyers at the polling place on election day, placing flyers at grocery

stores or banks, working with high schools to encourage participation by students of voting age, and recruitment

at county fairs. ]

A survey was sent to all boards to obtain suggestions on possible enhancements to recruiting methods.

These suggestions were studied as to their merit and discussed as possible recommendations of the task force.

The adequacy of pollworker compensation was discussed in detail. Task force members were divided in

their opinion if increased compensation would provide the needed incentive to obtain new and retain pollworkers.

With few other incentives available to offer to potential workers, the members agreed that changes are needed in

the compensation rates.

The recommendations of the task force are the result of careful review, survey study, and discussion of the

concerns of the boards.

In conclusion, the members express their gratitude for being chosen to study the pollworker recruitment

and training problems of boards of elections. The findings of this study have shown the need for changes and

improvements in pollworker recruitment and training.

These are excerpts from Report and Recommendations of the Pollworker Training Task Force

submitted to Secretary of State Bob Taft on May 5, 1995. The members of the task force included

nine directors or deputy directors of county boards of elections. It was co-chaired by Richard A

Whitehouse, Deputy Chief Elections Counsel for the Ohio Secretary of State, and Patricia A.

Wolfe, Elections Administrator for the Secretary of State

Appendix A-3
California Task Force

1995 Elections Summit of the Advisory Voter Task Force

Pollworker Recruitment and Training

(Excerpt from Part IV of the Task Force Report)

The Problem

Changing demographics have largely eroded the base of pollworkers in California. Most

pollworkers are senior citizens and, as they advance in age, their numbers are sharply dwindling.

The predominance of two-income families, unavailable for pollwork, has choked the supply of

younger pollworkers

While dedicated and hard-working, some pollworkers have little training and some will

always be prone to error. Ballot reconciliation is a problem for some, leaving election officials

with the task of determining how the voting process was conducted at the polls.

Analysis

Some business and governmental agencies have been helpful in encouraging their workers

to serve as pollworkers, but greater support is needed. More needs to be done at the local level to

encourage and reward pollworkers. Increasing their pay, a matter set by each locale, would help

with recruitment. Younger pollworkers need to be recruited to learn from the older, experienced

precinct inspectors and gradually to take their places.

One summit panelist urged that 16 and 17 year old students be allowed to serve, under

supervision, in polling places and learn the process from experienced inspectors. Younger people,

more skilled in the art of test-taking, it was argued, will quickly and accurately fulfill the demands

of a long day of detailed work.

Allowing local officials greater flexibility to increase the number of voters in a polling

place would help relieve the shortage of pollworkers. Moderate expansion of precinct size should

be permitted to account for absent voters. The risk in doing so is that some absent voters will

decide, after all, to vote at the polls, potentially creating lines at polling places. Thus, prudence

would limit any expansion in precinct size to no greater than half of the number of anticipated

absent voters.

Training of pollworkers is especially critical. One panelist sharply criticized the inability of

pollworkers to reconcile a ballot statement at the end of the day, and suggested this creates

potential for ballot box stuffing. Although no panelists supplied evidence of this occurring, there

was nevertheless fairly uniform agreement that ballot reconciliation is difficult for some

pollworkers. One panelist suggested the need for uniform pollworker training standards.

Appendix A-4
Task Force Conclusions

Despite election officials' sustained and creative efforts, pollworker recruitment is a

continuing problem, and demographic changes appear to be working against them. Younger

pollworkers need to be engaged in this civic act and given training and encouragement to perform

it.

Even with greater support from business and government, it appears alternatives to reduce

the number of pollworkers are needed. We reiterate two recommendations, made in the discussion

of absentee voting above, which we believe would also be useful in this regard: Expanded use of

permanent absentee voting and mail ballot elections would relieve the pressure on election

officials to recruit pollworkers.

A moderate expansion in the size of precincts to account for increased use of absent

ballots would also help reduce the need for pollworkers. Somewhat larger precincts are feasible if

more voters choose the permanent absentee option. Reducing the number of polling places and

pollworkers would save money that might be better spent on increasing pollworkers'

compensation.

Local election officials should continue to emphasize pollworker training. Training

procedures and videos are useful tools developed by some election offices and should be shared.

Task Force Recommendations

A. Legislative:

1. Permit 16 and 17 year olds to serve as pollworkers under the supervision of experience precinct

inspectors. [See this proposed legislation, AB 1856, in Appendix item"2-2].

2. Allow for a moderate increase in the size of precincts to account for expansion of the

permanent absentee voting option. Initially, we recommend the size be expanded by no more than

50% of the historical absentee vote for the jurisdiction.

B. Administrative.

1. Establish in the Secretary of State's office a library or clearinghouse of pollworker training

materials which local election officials can freely share.

The Elections Summit was called and chaired by California Secretary of State Bill Jones The task

force was composed of local election officials, election professionals, public interest groups, and

interested individuals. Its objective was the comprehensive review of the California election

system. This excerpt is but one of the issues examined at by the task force.

Appendix A-4
Become a Precinct Official!

* WANTED *

Over 4,500 Precinct Officials

to work in the

Primary and General Elections

Fundraise for a Club! Learn about Government!

Participate in the Democratic Process

by Working in your Community!

If you...

ic are a registered voter or are eligible to register

* are able to read and write English

"k attend a brief training session

~k are not a candidate, parent, spouse, sibling, or

child of a candidate

... you can work as a Precinct Official and earn $75

for each election in which you work.

We need you! If you're interested, please contact the

Office of the Lieutenant Governor,

Precinct Operations, 453-V0TE(8683).
BECOME A

METRO-DADE COUNTY

POLLWORKER

The Elections Department must

appoint an election board to serve

In each County precinct on election day. Good pollworkers are a

real asset.

The Elections Department Is

currently looking for recruits. A

pollworker must be a Dade County

registered voter and be able to

read and write the English

language.

Should you decide to become a

pollworker, you will be required to

attend a training class prior to

each election In order to be certified to work at the polls. You

will be paid a fee for each election you work.

If you are interested in becoming

a pollworker, please complete the

application on the reverse side

and mail to the Metro-Oade Elections Department.
SIGN UP NOW!

BECOME AN

ELECTION DAY WORKER

SERVE YOUR CITY AND YOUR NEIGHBORS

AS A MEMBER OF

THE

DISTRICT'S

ELECTION TEAM
District of Columbia

Board of Elections and Ethics

ELECTION

DAY

WORKERS

MAKE

DEMOCRACY

HAPPEN

SIGN

UP

TODAY!
ELECTION WORKER APPLICATION

Please Print

Are you a District resident, a

registered voter and at least 18

years old?
ELECTION DAY WORKERS NEEDED

Sonoma County needs conscientious persons, dedicated tc

protecting the electoral process, to work on precinct boards.

You don't need previous experience, but you must be a registered voter. If you are interested please return this card or call

the Election Department at 527-1816 or 527-1800
Sonoma County Management Employees Precinct Officer Program

(please print - you know how it is to read a handwritten form)

Yes. I'd like to volunteer to work at the polls on March 26. 1996.1 understand that I must have my Department

Head's approval. ;md will receive my regular salary for the day in lieu of Precinct Officer compensation.
World Wide Web

~ San Francisco County, California —

Office of the

REGISTRAR OF VOTERS

City and County of San Francisco

GERMAINE Q WONG

Registrar of Voters
Telephone Book Inserts

~ Sacramento County, California -

Telephone Book Inserts in Sacramento County include an envelope and recruitment message as

shown above, along with voter registration forms. These packets are aimed at new residents.

Election officials hope that their recruitment message attracts active newcomers before they

become too busy with other activities.
Adopt-a-Precinct / Special Programs

- Ventura County, California -

The Ventura County Elections Division organized a comprehensive program promoting the

"adoption" of polling places, contribution of polls, volunteerism and community participation. In

addition to these six pages of Appendix A-8, see discussion under "Recruiting Through

Organizations for Fundraising and Civic Action."
"COUNT ME IN "

On Election Day

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION (Why the program is innovative and different.)

"Count Me In" is an innovative program designed and introduced in

Ventura County in 1993. It invites community participation in the

elections process and celebrates Election Day as a community event!

This unique program developed by the Ventura County Elections

Division has been in the concept and design process for the past

year in preparation for its debut in the November 2nd Statewide

Election. The stated goals of the program are as follows:

> Promote greater community involvement in election day

activities including citizen volunteers and business sponsors

> Increase voter registration and community participation

> Reduce costs and maintain high level of service provided to

voters

"Count Me In" invites local citizens, area businesses and community

service organizations to participate. Each of the participation

options is summarized below.

ELECTION OFFICER VOLUNTEERS- Local citizens may volunteer to serve

as Election Officers at a local polling place. All volunteers are

recognized for their community contribution in special volunteer

recognition programs held in conjunction with pre-election training

classes. A Certificate of Appreciation is awarded to each

volunteer.

LOCAL BUSINESS SPONSORS- Businesses throughout the County are

invited to sponsor a County-designated polling place. Sponsors are

acknowledged for their support of the elections process in major

newspapers throughout the County on the day following the election.

(The timing is designed to avoid any perception of attempts to

influence voters by sponsoring businesses.) Sponsorship covers the

cost of establishing a polling place, training election officers,

delivering equipment and site rental. The "sponsorship" fee is

$250 and fully tax-deductible.

Businesses are also encouraged to support employees who wish to

participate as volunteer election officers and to make voter

registration forms available at their worksite for the convenience

of employees and customers.

SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS- Community Service Organizations are

dedicated to serving the local community in a variety of ways. The

"Count Me In" program invites these organizations and their

membership to consider joining other volunteers and businesses in

supporting the community on election day- either through the

"sponsorship" option or by staffing a polling place.

Ventura County, California continued

Appendix A-8 (page 2/6)
POLLING PLACE SITE DONORS- Facility managers of locations typically

used as polling places are also asked to support the "Count Me In"

program by donating their facility for voting activity on election

day. Each site donor is acknowledged at the polling place with a

sign acknowledging its participation, stating as follows: "(Name

of Facility) generously donated this polling place to the voters

of this community."

PROGRAM RESULTS

Over 200 local citizens volunteered to serve as Election Officers

at the polls on Election Day representing nearly 30 percent of the

workforce at the polls. 15 County employees volunteered at the

polls using a day of vacation leave for the privilege of serving.

74 polling place locations were donated to the community on

election day, representing 40 percent of the voting sites.

Six local businesses sponsored polling places for a "contribution"

of $250 each, totalling $1,500.

Over 250 volunteer hours were contributed from local citizens in

providing various support services in preparation for the election.

Eleven presentations were made at community organizations, service

clubs and chamber of commerce meetings to recruit volunteers and

provide voter registration materials.

$650 of advertising space was donated by the local press to

acknowledge business sponsors in the "Count Me In" program.

TARGET POPULATION

This program is designed to appeal to a diverse population of local

citizens. The only prerequisite is that the participants be

registered voters or eligible to register in the County. One of

the most surprising aspects of the program is that requesting

volunteer support actually appeals to people who might not

otherwise consider working at a polling place. This opens up a

whole new population of potential election officers, far beyond the

limited resource of retired senior citizens who serve time and time

again. Volunteering for an election in a unique opportunity for

people to return something to the community; a one day commitment

that has a lasting impact on the community. Below are a few

"typical" quotes from this November's "Count Me In" participants:

"I appreciated the opportunity to serve... It helps control costs

and is a good way to give back to the community. "

"I was thrilled to be part of this program...Excellent, I received

my thanks from the voters!"

PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS (Samples Enclosed)

"Count Me In" Cup, V.I.P. Cup (Volunteer In Precinct), Program

Brochures, Buttons, Pencils, Certificate of Appreciation (for

Volunteers), Count Me In Sponsor Certificate( for Business

Sponsors), Newspaper Sponsor Acknowledgement. (A Public Service

Announcement to recruit volunteers is currently in production.)

Ventura County, California continued

Appendix A-8 (page 3/6)
Ventura County, California continued

Appendix A-8 (page 4/6)
*Please reprint on colored paper only. '

VENTURA COUNTY - ELECTIONS DIVISION

"COUNT ME IN" ON ELECTION DAY

You can count on me to support the Library by serving as an Election Officer. I

am a registered voter in Ventura County.*

As a Volunteer for the Library, I would like to serve at a polling place on Tuesday,

June 7, 1994 from 6:15 a.m. to (approx) 9:00 p.m. if I am appointed.

[ agree to attend a 1 1/2 hr training session conducted by the Elections Division

staff prior to serving at the polls.

[ understand that my compensation for serving at the polls will be contributed

directly to the Library Services Agency on my behalf. (Compensation range is

-55O-$63 depending on the position assigned.)

Tor further information or voter registration form(s), please call the Elections

Division at 654-2784.
Ventura County, California continued

Appendix A-8 (page 6/6)
Statute: Contracting with Community Organizations

~ Hawaii ~

11-5 Employees.

(b) Notwithstanding chapters 103 and 103D, the chief election officer may contract

with community organizations, school booster clubs, and nonprofit organizations

for the provision and compensation of precinct officials and other election related

personnel, services and activities; provided that to be eligible to enter into a

contract, the organization or club shall have received a tax clearance certificate

from the department of taxation.

Fundraising for organizations is a successful recruiting method for a number of election

agencies A statute helps to clarify that the organization can receive the compensation instead of

individual workers, however this can be accomplished in many states through other procedures.

The following several pages (also with "Appendix A-9" at the bottom) include additional

information from the Hawaii program including a solicitation piece and a draft agreement. See

"Recruiting Through Organizations for Fundraising & Civic Action" for more discussion of this.

Appendix A-9
Contracting with Community Organizations

~ Hawaii ~
Contracting with Community Organizations

- Hawaii -
Contracting with Community Organizations

~ Hawaii ~
The Elections Department is recruiting workers for the fall

elections series.

If you are a registered voter, read, and speak English, you may

be qualified to earn $73 per election after attending a brief

training class.

Please call the Pollworker Section at 375-4298 today.
The Elections Department is recruiting workers for the upcoming

countywide elections.

If you are a registered voter and would be interested in working as

a pollworker, complete the application below and mail it to:

Metro-Dade Elections Department

Attention: Pollworker Section

P.O. Box 012241

Miami, Florida 33101-2241
WANTED

ELECTION OFFICIALS

(Precinct, Control Center, Counting

Center, Delivery/Collection)

EARN AT LEAST $75 DOLLARS FOR

WORKING ON GENERAL

ELECTION DAY!

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Must be at least 16 yrs of age before June 30,1994

• Be a registered voter in the State of Hawaii (Except

those under 18 yrs. old)

• Be able to read and write English

• Attend a brief training session

• Not be a candidate, parent, spouse, sibling or child

of a candidate.

DATES:

• General Election: Tuesday, November 8,1994
Free Media

-- Missoula County, Montana --

PRESS RELEASE

May 2, 1996

May 6, 1996 is the last day to register to vote for the Primary Election which will

be held on Tuesday, June 4, 1996.

The Missoula County Elections Office is seeking people to work as Election

Judges. The jobs pay minimum wage. To qualify to be an Election Judge you

must be registered to vote and must attend a training session and be certified

every two years by the Missoula County Elections Administrator. The training

sessions are scheduled for May 21 and 23 at 1:00,3:30 & 6:30 p.m. at the

Missoula City/County Library's large conference room. For more information call
Direct Mail

- Dade County, Florida ~

SHOW YOUR PATRIOTISM

GET INVOLVED

DEAR VOTER:

THE ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT IS RECRUITING POLLWORKERS

IN YOUR PRECINCT FOR THE MARCH PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE

PRIMARY ELECTION.

IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ATTEND A 2 HOUR TRAINING CLASS AND

READ AND WRITE ENGLISH, YOU ARE QUALIFIED TO EARN $73

PER ELECTION. THERE WILL BE AT LEAST 4 ELECTIONS THIS

YEAR.

TO ARRANGE FOR A TRAINING CLASS IN YOUR AREA, PLEASE

CALL 375-4298. IT WILL BE HELPFUL IF YOU HAVE YOUR

VOTERS CARD AT THE TIME YOU CALL.

THANK YOU

POLLWORKER SECTION

METRO -DADE ELECTIONS

Targeting is easy when you mail your recruitment message directly to voters. Dade

County election officials sometimes mail these computer generated postcards to voters in

certain precincts where they are short of poll workers.

Appendix A-12
Recruiting with Voter Registration Confirmations

~ Dade County, Florida ~

Piggy-Backing a poll worker recruitment message with voter registration confirmation notices is

an idea that Dade County officials are finalizing. Their intention is to convert the single card

confirmation notice into double card which will look something like the above. Thus everyone

registering to vote or changing their registration will receive a solicitation notice. See "PiggyBack Techniques" for further discussion.

Appendix A-13
Voter Information Mailing

— Alameda County, California ~

Piggy-Backing poll worker recruiting solicitations onto other widely distributed materials is

effective and cost-efficient. This page comes from Alameda County, California's sample ballot

booklet. The booklet is printed and mailed by local election officials in California to all voters

about a month before each election. This page, originally printed on card stock, appears

immediately after the front cover. The lower half includes a perforation, the reverse side is preaddressed (business reply mail). Alameda, like other counties, report many new recruits from this

piece. Also see the "piggy-backing" example that Dade County, Florida officials are preparing.

Appendix A-14
Statute: Student Poll Workers (and other items of interest)

~ Hawaii ~

11-12: Age; place of registering.

(a) Every person who has reached the age of eighteen years or who is seventeen years of age and will

be eighteen years of age by the date of the next election, and is otherwise qualified to register may do

so for that election The person Shall then be listed upon the appropriate county general register and

precinct list. No person shall register or vote in any other precinct than that in which the person

resides except as provided in section 11-21.

(b) A person who is otherwise qualified to register and is at least sixteen years of age but will not be

eighteen years of age by the date of the next election may preregister upon satisfactory proof of age

and shall be automatically registered upon reaching age eighteen.

11-72: Precinct officials; submission of names and assignment vacancies

(a) All qualified political parties shall submit names for precinct officials to the chief election officer

not later than 4:30 p.m. on the sixtieth day prior to the close of filing for any primary, special primary,

or special election. All precinct officials shall be able to read and write the English language. If any

party fails to submit the required names by the above deadline, or names sufficient to fill the positions

to which it would be entitled, assignment of positions to which the party would otherwise be entitled

pursuant to subsection (b), may be made without regard to party affiliation

(b) In assigning the precinct officials the following criteria shall be followed:

(1) The precinct officials shall be registered voters of the precinct in which they serve; but if

qualified persons in the precinct or representative district are not readily available to serve, they

may be chosen from without the precinct or representative district, or if qualified persons either in

or without the precinct or representative district are not available to serve, the chief election

officer may designate precinct officials who are not registered voters if the persons so designated

are otherwise qualified and shall have attained the age of sixteen years on or before June 30, of

the year of the election in which they are appointed to work.

(2) The chief election officer may designate more precinct officials than are needed in order to

create a pool of qualified precinct officials who may be assigned to fill vacancies or to perform

such duties as needed in any precinct.

(3) No parent, spouse, child or sibling of a candidate shall be eligible to serve as a precinct

officials in any precinct in which votes may be cast for the candidate; nor shall any candidate for

any elective office be eligible to serve as a precinct official in the same election in which the

person is a candidate. No candidate who failed to be nominated in the primary or special primary

election shall be eligible to serve as a precinct official in the general election next following.

(4) The chairperson of the precinct officials shall be of the same party as the governor and shall be

the first named precinct official on the list prepared by the chief election officer. The remainder of

the precinct officials shall be apportioned as follows: [This portion of the statute is skipped].

(c) [This portion of the statute is skipped].

(d) In case of inability, failure, or refusal of any person so assigned to serve as a precinct official, the

chief election officer shall appoint a person to fill the vacancy.

16 and 17 year old poll workers are enabled by these statutes. In addition, election officials may

take interest in other wording from above (underlined) pertaining to party submission deadlines,

waiver of party identification and precinct residency requirements, and extra (standby) workers.

Appendix A-15
Recruitment Handout/Application

~ Hawaii ~

This handout (reduced from 8V2 x 11) is referred to in the discussion under "Recruiting Young

People." It is handed out during presentations during which a recruitment pitch is made.

Appendix A-16
Recruitment Letters

-- Hawaii ~

This letter (reduced from 8V2 x 11) is one of many variations sent for recruiting to various mailing

lists. In addition to colleges and universities, other categories of letters include non-profits,

religious organizations, social clubs, state offices and previous election workers

Appendix A-17
AB 1856 Elections: Student Pollworkers

-- California ~

As amended 1/16/96; Introduced by Assembly Member McPherson

An act to amend Section 12302 of the Elections Code, relating to elections.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

AB 1856, as amended, McPherson. Elections: student poll workers. Existing law authorizes an

elections official to appoint members of election precinct boards who are voters of either the same

precinct or a precinct in the same general area, with certain exceptions. This bill would permit an

elections official to appoint not more than 2 students who possess specified qualifications to serve

under the direct supervision of precinct board members designated by the elections official, subject to

approval by the board of the school in which the student is enrolled. It would prohibit a student

appointed pursuant to these provisions from tallying votes.

SECTION 1. Section 12302 of the Elections Code is amended to read:

12302. (a) Except as provided in subdivision (b), each member of a precinct board shall be a voter of

the precinct for which the member is appointed or a voter of a precinct situated in the same general

area, except that county employees used as poll workers may reside outside of the precinct or the

county. The member shall serve only in the precinct for which appointment is received.

(b) In order to provide for a greater awareness of the elections process, the rights and responsibilities

of voters and the importance of participating in the electoral process, as well as to provide additional

members of precinct boards, an elections official may appoint not more than two students to serve

under the direct supervision of precinct board members designated by the election official. A student

may be appointed, notwithstanding lack of eligibility to vote, subject to the approval of the board of

the educational institution in which the student is enrolled, if the student possesses the following

qualifications:

(1) Is at least 16 years of age at the time of the election to which he or she is serving as a

member of a precinct board.

(2) Is a United States citizen or will be a citizen at the time of the election to which he or she is

serving as a member of a precinct board.

(3) Is a student in good standing attending a public or private secondary educational

institution.

(4) Is a senior and has a grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.

(c) No student appointed pursuant to subdivision (b) shall be used by a precinct board to tally votes.

Student Poll Workers: This California proposal is sponsored by the state's County Clerks Association

and has the support of the Secretary of State.

Appendix A-18
Student Poll Workers

~ Connecticut ~

Sec. 9-235d. Citizens sixteen or seventeen years of age authorized to

serve as election or primary officials. Notwithstanding any provision of

sections 9-233, 9-235 and 9-258 to the contrary, a United States citizen who

is sixteen or seventeen years of age and a bona fide resident of a town may

be appointed as a challenger, voting machine tender or unofficial checker in

an election. Notwithstanding any provision of section 9-436 to the contrary, a

United States citizen who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and a bona fide

resident of a town or political subdivision holding a primary may be

appointed as a challenger or voting machine tender in the primary.

Notwithstanding any provision of section 9-436a to the contrary, a United

States citizen who is sixteen or seventeen years of age and a bona fide

resident of a town may be appointed as a candidate checker in a primary.

(P.A. 93-384, S.9)

This Connecticut law allows 16 and 17 year old citizens to serve in certain capacities on

precinct boards.

Appendix A-19
Statute: Student Pollworkers

~ Minnesota ~

204B.19 Election judges; qualifications

Subdivision 6. High school students.

Notwithstanding any other requirements of this section, a student enrolled in a high school in

Minnesota who has attained the age of 16 is eligible to be appointed as a without party affiliation

trainee election judge in the municipality in which the student resides. The student must meet

qualifications for trainee election judges specified in rules of the secretary of state. A student

appointed as a trainee election judge may be excused from school attendance during the hours

that the student is serving as a trainee election judge if the student submits a written request

signed and approved by the student's parent or guardian to be absent from school and a

certificate from the appointing authority stating the hours during which the student will serve

as a trainee election judge to the principal of the school at least ten days prior to the election.

Students shall not serve as trainee election judges after 10:00 p.m. Notwithstanding section

177.24 to the contrary, trainee election judges may be paid not less than two-thirds of the

minimum wage for a large employer. The principal of the school may approve a request to

be absent from school conditioned on acceptable academic performance and the requirement that

the student must have completed or be enrolled in a course of study in government at the time of

service as a trainee election judge.

HIST: 1981 c 29 art 4 s 19; 1983 c 126 s 1, 1983 c 303 s 7, 1985 c 39 s 1; 1987 c 266 art 1 s

27; 1991 c 237 s 1,2; 1995 c 34 s 1

Student Poll Workers: This Minnesota law allows 16 and 17 year olds to be appointed at

"trainee election judges."

Appendix A-20
Statute: Excused Absences for

Students Working on Election Day

~ Indiana —

Indiana Code 20-8.1-3-18...

...(b) The governing body of each school corporation and the chief

administrative official of each private secondary school system shall authorize

the absence and excuse of each secondary school student who serves on the

precinct election board or as a helper to a political candidate or to a political

party on the date of each general, city or town, special, and primary election

at which the student works. Prior to the date of the election, the student must

submit a document signed by one (1) of the student's parents or guardians

giving permission to participate in the election as provided in this section, and

the student must verify to school authorities the performance of services by

submitting a document signed by the candidate, political party chairman,

campaign manager, or precinct officer. The document must describe generally

the duties of the student on the date of the election. A student excused from

school attendance under this subsection shall not be recorded as being absent

on any date for which the excuse is operative, nor shall the student be

penalized by the school in any manner.

Excused Absences: This Indiana law permits a student to be excused from school for

performing election day work. This law includes campaign activity as well as official

precinct duties.

Appendix A-21
News Release Concerning 18 Year Old Poll Workers

— Yolo County, California ~

High School Students Become Hi-performance Pollworkers

Experimental Project Becomes Regular Addition to Election Administration Process

WOODLAND, CA ~ Pollworker recruitment is one of the major problems facing election offices

throughout the country, requiring more than 100,000 registered voters to staff polling places for

any given statewide election in California alone.

Also: participation in the electoral process by young people is significantly lower than for those

who are older. High school students participate only infrequently as voters and rarely receive

practical experience participating in the actual conduct of elections.

Beginning in June '94, The Elections Office in Yolo County California began recruiting 18-yearold high school seniors—eligible and registered to vote—to staff polling places throughout the

county. Four students independently staff some polling places, while in others, high school

students—including students from continuation schools—serve as Inspectors taking charge of

polling place operations and assuming full responsibility for ballots, assignment of tasks during the

day and accurate completion of all reporting requirements.

According to the California Secretary of State, June 1994 was the first time in California that

high school students were placed in complete charge of polling place operations.

This program was intended to a) assist in recruiting voters to serve in polling places, b) provide

some hands-on, real world experience in the election process to high school seniors and c)

provide visible role models of high school voter participation for other high school students in the

county.

Recruiting Pollworkers is time-consuming and expensive. Unless adequate numbers are found,

regular employees (sometimes from temporary agencies) must be used to staff the polls

Additionally, the 15-16 hour days fatigue some older workers and the longer polls take to close—

and the more errors in polling place processing—the greater the cost to certify an election.

The program received front page attention in the local press and received editorial praise from the

major regional newspapers including The Sacramento Bee.

Polling places run by high school students rank among the best in the county, having few

problems while completing their tasks accurately and in a timely fashion: the West Sacramento

high school precinct was the first in the county to report last November, making it the most

efficient precinct out of the 120 in the county; many voters report pleasure at being served by

students.

Appendix A-22
Students became particularly visible in the high schools themselves because their participation in

the program was highlighted by the coverage in the press. Additionally, voter registration activity

received special attention in the high schools where the program was implemented. This,

hopefully, encourages others to participate in our elections.

Although students provided only 2% of the total Pollworkers for the November 1994 general

election, they will make up almost 7% of those working in the Primary Election this March Their

willingness to assume the Inspector's leadership duties simplified the particularly difficult process

of recruiting of Inspectors.

Representatives of the Governor's office and the Secretary of State are now considering support

positions on legislation that would allow high school students between the ages of 16-18 to serve

on precinct boards regardless of eligibility to vote.

High School civics teachers in nearby counties are also beginning to solicit students to

participate in the elections this year, and other counties in the state are beginning to

experiment with the program.

For more information contact:

Tony Bernhard, Yolo County Clerk/Recorder

625 Court St. Woodland, CA 95695

916/666-8264 (v)

916/666-8123(0

The Yolo County, California Clerk/Recorder posted this news release as part of his office's World

Wide Web site on the Internet.

Appendix A-22
The "Draft"

~ Douglas County, Nebraska ~

ELECTION LAWS OF NEBRASKA

Effective January 1,1995

The election commissioner shall appoint precinct and district inspectors, judges of election, and clerks of

election to assist the election commissioner in conducting elections on election day. Judges and clerks of election

are selected at random from a cross section of the population of registered voters of the county and shall serve for

at least four elections. All qualified citizens shall have the opportunity to be considered for service and shall fulfill

their obligation to serve as judges or clerks of election as prescribed by the election commissioner. No citizen shall

be excluded from service as a result of discrimination based upon race, color, religion, sex, national origin or

economic status; unless excused by reason of ill health or other good and sufficient reason. If a vacancy occurs in

the office of judge or clerk of election or inspector the election commissioner shall fill such vacancy in accordance

with section 3 2-223. If at the hour the polls open there is a vacancy that needs to be filled at a polling site, the other

officers at the polls shall select a registered voter to serve if so directed by the election commissioner. (§32-221)

The election commissioner shall notify each person appointed as a judge or clerk of election, precinct

inspector, or district inspector of the appointment by letter. Each appointee shall, at the time fixed in the notice of

appointment, report to the office of the election commissioner to complete any informational forms and receive

instructions as to his or her duties. Such appointee shall serve as a judge or clerk of election or inspector for the

term of his or her appointment. The election commissioner shall submit the names of appointees violating this

section to the local law enforcement agency for citation pursuant to sections 32-1549 and 32-1550. (§32-228)

(1) Any person who is appointed in any county to serve as a judge or clerk of election or precinct or district

inspector shall not be subject to discharge from employment, loss of pay, loss of overtime pay, loss of sick leave,

loss of vacation time, the threat of any such action, or any other form of penalty as aresult of his or her absence from

employment due to such service if he or she gives reasonable notice to his or her employer of such appointment.

Reasonable notice shall be waived for those persons appointed as judges or clerks of election on the day of election

to fill vacancies. Any such person shall be excused upon request from any shift work, without loss of pay, for those

days he or she is required to serve.

(2) No employer shall subject an employee serving as a judge or clerk of election or precinct or district

inspector to coercion, discharge from employment, loss of pay, loss of overtime pay, loss of sick leave, loss of

vacation time, the threat of any such action, or any service, except that an employer may reduce the pay of an

employee for each hour of work missed by an amount equal to the hourly compensation other than expenses paid to

the employee by the county for such service.

(3) The election commissioner or county clerk shall submit the names of persons violating this section to the

local law enforcement agency for citation pursuant to sections 32-1549 and 32-1550.

(4) The election commissioner or county clerk shall not provide a list of judges or clerks of election or

precinct or district inspectors to any committee or to any person. (§32-241)

Douglas County Election Commission • Hall of Justice • 17th AFamamSts. Room 110 • Omaha, NE 68183

Nebraska law allows Douglas County to draft poll workers (see discussion under "The Omaha

Draft"). Above are the statutes enabling this. A sample letter to a draftee is on the next page.

Appendix A-23 (page 1/2)
You are hereby notified that you have been selected to serve as an ELECTION OFFICIAL for Douglas

County, Nebraska. You will be paid for your Election Day Services in. an amount set by State Law.

You are scheduled to aroear at on

between the hours of 7:00 am and approximately The address of

the polling site is

The elections held each year in Douglas County require the services of more than 2.500 citizens working at

over 350 polling places and in the Election Office. Many of these officials serve voluntarily year after year.

Unfortunately, the number of volunteers falls short of the total number of election officials necessary for

conducting an election. Therefore, Nebraska State Law allows the Election Commissioner to draft citizens

to serve on Election Day. Any individual ordered to serve as an election official shall not be subject to

discharge from employment, loss of pay, loss of overtime pay, loss of sick leave, loss of vacation time,

the threat of any such action or any other action or any penalty, as a result of his or her absence from

employment due to such service. Any such person shall be excused upon request from any shift work, without

loss of pay, for those days he or she is required to serve. Any person violating this law or any person

failing to report on Election Day will be cited in accordance to the laws of the State of Nebraska, and if

convicted, guilty of a Class III misdemeanorI am sure you recognize the important role that elections play in our system of government. In any true

democracy citizens, have not only the right to vote, but also the right to conduct the elections. The Election

Office needs your services to help continue this tradition. You must serve four elections before you may be

released from your duties as an Election Official. If service as an Election Official will cause you undue

hardship, the Election Board will review your particular set of circumstances and decide if you may be excused

or have your service deferred until a later date. Please state your reason for claiming hardship on the back

of this letter and return it to me at once.

Reminder: You are scheduled to appear on the date shown above,

I am looking forward to working with you on Election day and wish to thank you in advance for your service.
Poll Worker Newsletter

~ District of Columbia ~

• Election Worker News •

A newsletter (this one is reduced from 8V2 x 14) is one way of staying in touch with your base of

workers between elections. It also allows you update them on news and training issues.

Appendix A-24 (page 1/2)
The Board has announced Friday, March

22, i 996 as the last day applications will be

accepted to work in the May Primary.

Applications received after March 22nd

will be held for the September Primary.

To apply — interested persons can either

pick up an application in our office or call

727-4555 to have an application mailed to

them.

Qualifications

You must be

a District resident,

a registered voter and

at least 18 years of age

Applicants must also complete the

Board's Orientation program.
Statute Enabling Shifts

-- Montana ~

13-4-207. Judges to remain at polls « emergency provisions — part-time service

(1) Election judges may not leave the premises on which the polling place is located during

the hours they are assigned to work unless permission to leave is given by the chief election judge

for that precinct. Permission may be granted only for illness or a family emergency.

(2) A chief election judge must obtain the permission of the election administrator to leave

the polling place premises because of illness or an emergency. If the chief judge is excused, the

election administrator shall appoint one of the other judges to act as chief election judge.

(3) The time of departure and reason for leaving shall be entered near the oath form

subscribed by the election judge or on a form provided by the election administrator. The chief

election judge shall sign the entry.

(4) The election administrator may appoint a judge to replace an excused judge.

(5) The election administrator may assign a judge or chief election judge to work less than

a full polling day, but at least three judges, including a chief election judge, must be on duty

during the time that the polls are open.

History: En. Sec. 62, Ch. 571, L. 1979; amended. Sec.4, Ch. 232, L. 1993.

Shifts This Montana law includes amended wording enabling county election officials to assign

poll workers (called judges in Montana) for less than a full day. See discussion in the main text.

Appendix A-25
Screening Test

~ Sacramento County, California—

VOTER REGISTRATION AND ELECTIONS

Ballot Statement Exercise

INSTRUCTIONS

Assume your polling place was given 50 ballots. Forty (40) ballots were not used

by the voters.

1 Enter "40" on line 2 of pink sheet.

Use the packet of 10 voted ballots given to you by your instructor for the rest

of this exercise. Place your answers on the pink answer sheet.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

Count the number of blue "Provisional" envelopes. NEVER open a

blue envelope! Enter the total on line 3 of pink sheet.

Count the number of "Write-in" ballots. These are ballots that have

something written in the top portion of the ballot. Enter the total on

line 4 of pink sheet.

Count the rest of the voted ballots. Enter this total on line 5 of pink

sheet.

Add lines 3,4, and 5 of pink sheet. These are all of the ballots taken

from the ballot box. Enter the toial on line 6 of pink sheet.

Add lines 2 and 6 of pink sheet. Enter the total at the end of line 7

of pink sheet.

Screening materials are useful in assuring that applicants can read, write and follow instructions

They may be necessary when general advertising or some other broad-based community appeal

brings in many new applicants.

Appendix A-26
Poll Workers per Precinct*

(sampling)

State

A1 Q e W a —_—- —

Arizona

California

Colorado

Connecticut

nr _ „ _

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

t^stncsc

ixCII lOdw ——— —

Maryland

Massachusetts—

Montana

Nebraska

N. Carolina

N. Dakota

Ohio __ j

Oklahoma J

Oregon

Pennsylvania—

Rhode Island

S.Carolina

S.Dakota

Virgin Islands—

W. Virginia

Wyoming

AVERAGE

Poll Workers per

Average Precinct

4

6

3-5

6

6-12

6

6-7

5-6

12

5

5-9

5

4-5

8

6

5-6

5-6

3+

6

6

3

3-4

6

5-6

3

3

3

5

5

3+

5.35

* These numbers are fairly subjective. They were offered by state and/or local officials in

response to the question: "In a typical polling place in your jurisdiction, how many

official workers are required?"Readers should keep in mind, however, that the numbers

vary somewhat according to local factors, including precinct size and the technology.

Appendix A-27
Poll Worker Compensation

State

California

California

California

California

California

Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut

DC.

Florida

Florida

Hawaii

Illinois

Indiana

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Montana

Nebraska

Jurisdiction

Alameda County

Sonoma County

Sacramento County

Los Angeles County

Ventura County

Vernon

New Haven

Bridgeport

Hartford

Washington

Collier County

Dade County

(state)

Chicago

Hamilton County

Tippicanoe County

Johnson County

Johnson County

Yellowstone County

Douglas County

i

A verages -

Low

—

$53

$65

$95

$45

$50

$95

$65

$80

$80

$75

$75

$74l

$75

$70

$50

$96

$60

$65

$50

$70

High

$83

$75

$120

$55

$68

$185

$130

$125

$175

$100

$85

$99

$145,

$100

$100

$90

$108

$73

$75

$65^

.._ ._J

$103

* This is a sampling of poll worker compensation ranges in various jurisdictions. This

information was provided in January-March 1996. These should be considered estimates,

as some jurisdictions include travel, meals and training in these amounts while others do

not.

Appendix A-28
Resources for Further Information

— Contacts —

California State

Alameda County

Office of Secretary of State, Elections Division

1500 11th Street

Sacramento, CA 95814

916-657-2166

Registrar of Voters

1225 Fallon Street

Oakland, CA 94612-4283

510-272-6973

Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections

3700 Branch Center Road

Sacramento, CA 95827-3892

916-366-2051

Sonoma County

Ventura County

Yolo County

Connecticut Vernon

DC Washington

Registrar of Voters

PO. Box 11485

Santa Rosa, CA 95406

707-527-1800

Elections Division

800 South Victoria Avenue

Ventura, CA 93003-9931

805-654-2700

Clerk/Recorder's Office

625 Court Street

Woodland, CA 95695

916-666-8264

Registrar of Voters

14 Park Place

Vernon, CT 06066

860-872-8591 ext. 210

DC. Board of Elections & Ethics

441 Fourth Street, NW

Suite 250

Washington, DC 20001-2745

202-727-2525

Appendix A-29 (Page 1 of 3)
Florida Collier County

Dade County

Hawaii State

Illinois Chicago

Indiana State

Iowa Johnson County

Michigan Burton

Montana State

Supervisor of Elections

Collier Government Center

3301 Tamiami Trail North

Naples, FL 33962-4971

941-774-8450

Metro-Dade Elections Department

P.O. Box 01-2241

Flagler Station

Miami, Florida 33101

305-375-5553

Office of Lieutenant Governor

Elections, Division

State Office Tower, 14th Floor

Honolulu, HI 96813

808-453-8683

Board of Election Commissioners

121 N. LaSalle Street

Room 308 - City Hall

Chicago, IL 60602

312-269-7900

Indiana Election Commission

302 W. Washington Street

Indianapolis, IN 46204-2738

317-232-3939

Johnson County Auditor

P.O Box 1350

Iowa City, IA 52244

319-356-6004

City of Burton Clerk's Office

4303 S. Center Road

Burton, MI 48519

810-743-1500

Office of Secretary of State, Elections Division

State Capitol, Room 225

P.O. Box 202801

Helena, MT 56920

406-444-4732

Appendix A-29 (Page 2 of 3)
Montana Judith Basin County

Montana Lewis & Clark Co.

Nebraska State

Nebraska Douglas County

Ohio State

Election Administrator

Box 485

Stanford, MT 59479

406-566-2277 ext. 109

Election Administrator

Box 1721

Helena, MT 59624

406-447-8338

Office of Secretary of State, Elections Division

Capitol Building, Suite 2300

Lincoln, NE 68509-4608

402-471-2554

Election Commission

Hall of Justice

17th & Farnum Streets, Room 110

Omaha, NE 68183

Office of Secretary of State, Elections Division

30 E. Broad Street, 14th Floor

Columbus, OH 43266-0418

614-466-2585

Appendix A-29 (Page 3 of 3)
For information about other

Innovations in Election Administration

contact

Office of Election Administration

Federal Election Commission

999 E. Street, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20463

Toll Free 800/424-9530

Direct 202/219-3670

FAX 202/219-8500

e-mail bkimberling@fec.gov

FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20463

Official Business

Penalty for Private

Use, $300

Bulk Rate Mail

Postage and Fees Paid

Federal Election Commission

Permit Number G-31