After months of messaging about the need for more poll workers, the Franklin County Board of Elections has seen a record level of interest, receiving more applicants than it needed this fall.
The Board of Elections was looking for about 5,500 people to work the polls this fall. But election officials say they weren't expecting more than 10,000 to reach out about the job, says spokesman Aaron Sellers.
"It’s a position that we have not found ourselves in, and it’s certainly heartening," Sellers says.
The average age of an Ohio poll worker is around 60 years old, Sellers says, so there was a huge push this year recruit new and younger poll workers out of fear that older workers may stay home to avoid potential exposure to COVID-19.
Some employers, like The Ohio State University, incentivized employees to sign up as poll workers by permitting them to take Election Day off without having to use vacation time.
Sellers says the outreach efforts paid off: 5,100 poll workers have already been placed, and the Board of Elections is working on contacting every one else who applied.
If you still want to be a poll worker, Sellers says they're still accepting applicationsfor future elections.
