Precinct Election Officials (Poll Workers) are needed for the May 8th, 2018 Primary Election, and for all subsequent Elections in Richland County. A training class for new workers has been scheduled for Saturday morning April 14th, 2018 at 10:00 A.M. at the Longview Center, 1495 W. Longview Avenue in the Upper Level Classroom. If you enter through the front entrance, the classroom will be on your right. The lecture portion of this class should last approximately an hour and a half, and then attendees must stay and go through the Station Training on the Lower Level of the Longview Center, which will offer hands-on experience. Persons who attend will be compensated $25.00 total with their check for working the polls, issued after the Election.
In addition to the training class, an “Open Practice” session will also be available during the last week prior to the election on Monday April 30th. Poll Workers may come to the lower classrooms anytime during the hours of 9:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. and stay for any length of time to practice on setting up the voting units, operating the electronic poll books, etc. There is no compensation for attending the Open Practice.
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, excluding the VLM, 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.
Please contact the Board of Elections Office at 419.774.5530 to sign up for the class, or to ask any questions.