Supervisor of elections cites challenge of recruiting help because of public health emergency
Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is urging county voters to consider becoming poll workers for the August 18 Primary Election and the Nov. 3 General Election.
“Sarasota County is facing a shortage of poll workers for coming elections, which are only months away,” Turner said in a news release.
“Recruiting poll workers is always challenging, but recruiting during the current health crisis makes it especially difficult to ensure adequate staffing levels at the polls,” he added in the release.
To be a poll worker, one must comply with the following criteria:
- Be a registered voter of Sarasota County (or be at least 16 years of age and pre-registered to vote).
- Be able to read, write and speak English.
- Complete state-mandated training prior to each election.
- Be willing to work a minimum of 14 hours on Election Day, from 6 a.m. until after the polls have closed (7 p.m.), and all tasks have been completed.
“Poll workers are paid for training and for working at the polls,” the release points out. “The total compensation ranges from $160 to $275, depending on the position worked,” it says. Turner noted that, for the coming elections, his office also is recruiting bilingual (English-Spanish) workers, as well as high school and college students, who meet the criteria listed above.
Anyone interested in becoming a poll worker may visit SarasotaVotes.com. “You can complete and submit your application online in just a few minutes,” the release says.
For more information, call 941-861-8640.