Richland County Needs Precinct Election Officials for the November 3rd, 2020 Presidential Election
In order to prepare for the November 3rd, 2020 Presidential Election, the Richland County Board of Elections is asking for voters to commit to training to become a Precinct Election Official (Poll Worker) to assist in the processing of voters at the polls.
The local Board is hoping to have enough workers to place an additional worker at each polling location to manage the social distancing requirements, the sanitization of the styluses and voter access cards, as well as the actual touchscreen voting units.
A survey was sent to all experienced poll workers, and the results indicated that approximately 25% of the seasoned workers are not planning on working for this Election, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This percentage could change drastically depending on the status of the coronavirus as the Election date nears.
The Board would especially encourage younger workers who will be at least 18 years of age by November 3rd to consider this civic participation. Some area schools will permit an excused absence for this reason, or even extra credit to their government or civics class. The Ohio Supreme Court has recently allowed CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credit to be claimed for any Attorney working the polls.
A series of training classes have been scheduled for the first part of October. Applicants must be a registered voter in Richland County and cannot have a felony conviction on their record. Interested persons may call the Richland County Board of Elections at 419.774.5530 or email the Board Office at boardofelections@richlandcountyoh.gov and a letter will be sent to them outlining the specifics, including the pay for working the polls, the pay for training classes, and the class dates and times.