CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Secretary of State is recruiting poll workers to help out on Election Day in November. Mac Warner anticipates high interest in the election which will feature the Presidential ticket along with an open U.S. Senate seat and open Governor’s office along with a myriad of local and state races.
Warner said a lot of the current poll workers have been doing the job for a long time and now they are trying to encourage more young voters to get involved.
“We’re building the bench for future years for poll workers. It gets them involved in the process and lets them known how secure our elections are, which helps to tamp down all of the conspiracy talk that goes around,” Warner said in a recent appearance on 580-Live with Dave Allen on MetroNews flagship station WCHS Radio in Charleston.
The commitment is one day of training which takes a couple of hours and a long day on election day which starts at 5:30 a.m. and ends when the ballots are finally tallied and delivered to your county clerk’s office. Although the job does take time, Warner pointed out there is ample compensation.
“For two hours of training you get paid anywhere from $35 to $50 depending on the county. Election Day is a long day but you can be paid anywhere from $250 to $300. Especially for a young person, as we’re encouraging them to be poll workers, that’s a fair amount of money,” he explained.
Warner also said it is possible for those who are registered as Independents to work the polls.
“The law requires poll workers from ‘different parties’ it doesn’t necessarily have to be Republican or Democrat. That’s typically the case since they are the largest parties, but yes an Independent certainly can be a poll worker, ” he added.
Those wishing to become a poll worker can start at their local county clerk’s office and get signed up for the upcoming training. Warner said it’s important for voters to see familiar faces they trust at the polls to have confidence in the election process.
“When you go in to vote and you see a local business owner, a veteran, a church leader, or a relator there’s a comfort level. You know things are being done right because those aren’t the kind of people who are going to do something nefarious,” Warner said.