The Richland County Board of Elections needs additional poll workers for the March 17th, 2020 Primary Election. Many of our regular workers are “snowbirds” who are in a warmer climate area for the winter months.
The Board has scheduled a class for new Precinct Election Officials (Poll Workers) for the March 17th, 2020 Primary Election on Wednesday evening February 26th at 6:00 P.M. at the Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Avenue in the Upper Level Classroom. If you enter through the front entrance from the main front parking area, the classroom will be to your right, past the elevators. The class will consist of an overview of the Electoral process and should last approximately 2 ½ hours. A brief presentation will be included to demonstrate how to set up the voting equipment. Attendees will receive $25.00 with their first check for working the polls and attending this class.
Additionally, the new workers would be required to attend a Station Training Class in this same classroom, which will offer hands-on experience for each facet of the voting process. Persons who attend will be compensated $15.00 total with their check for working the polls, issued after the Election. The Station Training Class times and dates will be distributed at the New Poll Worker Class.
Most new pollworkers are considered substitute pollworkers. They will be assigned in case of a vacancy in a precinct polling place. We try to place workers as near as possible to their home area, but sometimes it’s necessary to ask them to travel to another part of the county.
Each polling precinct is staffed by one Precinct Election Official - Presiding Judge (PEO-PJ), who is considered to be the lead Poll worker, one Precinct Election Official - Presiding Assistant (PEO-PA) who must accompany the PJ back to the office with the equipment and ballots after the polls close, and two Precinct Election Officials-Clerks (PEO-Clerk). Vote Centers, which are polling places with more than one precinct, will also have a VLM (Voting Location Manager) to oversee the entire location. Usually the more experienced workers are assigned as a VLM or PJ. An equal number of poll workers from each party must be assigned to each precinct.
VLM’s are paid $175.00, Presiding Judges $165.00, Presiding Assistants $140.00 and Clerks $130.00, plus their training compensation. No taxes, social security, or other deductions are taken out of these checks.
Please contact the Board of Elections Office at 419.774.5530 to sign up for the class, or to ask any questions.