Poll Workers on Election Day: A Crisis Overcome?
By: Harvard Ash Center
Tags: Harvard, Elections, Democracy, Voting, Election Day

Poll Workers on Election Day: A Crisis Overcome?

Early reports show signs that the massive effort to recruit poll workers across the United States is paying off, though some counties are still in need of help

Photo Credit: Scott Beale / Laughing Squid

Written by Miles Rapoport and Cecily Hines

Six months ago, as the coronavirus grabbed hold of American society and America’s elections, a chilling question arose: Would a massive shortage of poll workers threaten the ability of voters to cast their ballots on election day?

Anyone who has ever voted knows that the poll workers up until now have mainly been seniors who volunteered for this low-paid day of work year after year. This year, however, given the ongoing risk to seniors, that pool of workers has been dramatically reduced, creating the possibility of a dangerous shortage of these critical volunteers in many counties across the country. These shortages can lead to longer lines for voting, fewer polling places, and in some cases potential health risks for voters who are voting in crowded conditions. A 2017 report of the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) said that 60% of volunteer poll workers in 2016 were at least 61 years old, and 25% were at least 71 years old.

Though we won’t know for sure until Election Day, it appears that with a combination of effort from election jurisdictions, non-profit organizations, and a real civic response, this problem may have largely been solved. Many states and jurisdictions report that they are well situated with an ample supply of workers. The states of Virginia, Maryland, and Colorado appear to be fully, or close to fully, recruited.

At an Ash Center event on October 20, Secretary of State Frank LaRose reports that most of the counties in Ohio have now reached their goal of recruiting 150% of their expected need, ready to account for some fall off as well. And Secretary Kathy Boockvar of Pennsylvania and Jocelyn Benson of Michigan expressed confidence that their polls will be fully staffed and ready on November 3rd.

The response has not been entirely even. North Carolina has had a surge in poll workers stepping forward and is fully set in most counties, but there are a number of counties still in need. Nationwide, since recruitment is done at the county level (over 4000 jurisdictions), and data continues to change daily, the most accurate up to the minute picture is obtained by looking county by county. The Stanford-MIT Healthy Elections Project is an excellent resource for up-to-date information on elections, including highlighting key counties where the need for poll workers is still a focus.

“The public’s spirited response to the nationwide call for poll workers has been gratifying to see. We are hopeful that we’re recruiting a new generation of poll workers who will serve this fall and continue to do so in elections for years to come.”

Clearly, the recruitment task this year has been monumental, including the time and costs in training and retaining these new volunteers so that they actually show up on election day, ready to handle what comes their way. But the progress has been remarkable. September 1 was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, sponsored by the EAC, and the overall effort is paying off, due in large part to major outreach efforts by local election officials and various democracy organizations. Near the end of September, Power the Polls, a nonpartisan umbrella group for recruitment efforts, told CNN that 500,000 volunteers (double their original goal) had signed up since their recruitment began in June. And this week, that number is now close to 685,000. Their efforts have been bolstered by some large corporations like Target and Old Navy, who have encouraged their employees to step up.

Power the Polls relies heavily on data researched and collected by the nonpartisan Fair Elections Center. Work Elections, a project of the Fair Elections Center, provides county by county information on poll workers needed, the requirements of volunteers, and the application itself, making it easier for elections officials and volunteers to connect. A bonus is that, as more young people join the poll worker ranks, there is the opportunity for this to become a lifelong civic commitment for these engaged individuals. Ryan Pierannunzi, at Work Elections, stated “The public’s spirited response to the nationwide call for poll workers has been gratifying to see. We are hopeful that we’re recruiting a new generation of poll workers who will serve this fall and continue to do so in elections for years to come.”

Even though the crisis deficit appears to have been resolved in a number of states, there is still a need in many counties. Illness, jobs, and personal matters are expected to affect the actual numbers of volunteers who will actually show up on election day. Last-minute cancellations are to be expected in any voluntary recruitment effort, but given the vagaries of the pandemic environment, including a community-wide outbreak just before election day, larger numbers are clearly needed.

Most critical of all may be the need for poll workers in some swing state counties. According to NPR this past week, there are still poll workers needed in Pennsylvania, especially in urban areas like Philadelphia, still several thousand short, where a drop in poll workers could cause closing of polling places that could disproportionately affect communities of color. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, along with others, has been a champion for a new generation of poll workers, speaking out repeatedly for resources and funding to protect the right to vote in all communities. She praises LeBron James for the work of his organization, More Than a Vote, which is recruiting poll workers in predominantly Black districts. “By making sure that polling locations — including those giant NBA arenas — are fully staffed, we can protect the right to vote in all neighborhoods,” she said. Recruitment efforts are underway by many others, including Bob LaRocca, executive director of the Voter Protection Corp, a nonpartisan group working to recruit poll workers in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Arizona, and Texas.

The bottom line is a hopeful one. While the pandemic landscape is still unpredictable and the task has been an ongoing challenge, Understanding that there will be real problems in some place, the waves of new poll workers of all ages stepping up across the country may be one tribute to the resiliency of our election process after all.