The call for more poll workers is getting louder as elections near.
In just a few weeks from now, Philadelphians can head to their polling site to cast their votes in the primary election. Come November, Philadelphia’s 1.5 million residents can vote in the general election.
For added context, there are 1,703 voting precincts around Philadelphia that need to be set up before 7 a.m. and torn down after 8 p.m. when polls close. But two years ago, Billy Penn reported that some precincts faced unforeseen staffing shortages which left some divisions scrambling.
“We all want our elections to be safe and secure and this is one way to sort of be in the room where it happens,” said Amy Widestrom, who joined the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania as its executive director in January.
Despite low voter turnout in local elections, experts expect a higher turnout this cycle.
This leads to an increased need at polling sites around the Philadelphia region. Widestrom underscored that poll workers will be paid an average of $200 and up to $295 for those able to provide translation services.
Poll workers are doing “community work,” she said. Their roles on election day depend on the need, but can include clerk duties or machine inspector and/or machine operators.
“You’ll be greeting people. You’ll be directing them. You’ll be checking them in and instructing them how to scan their ballot in the machine,” she said. “We’ll be handing out the ‘I voted’ stickers, which is the number one question we get.”
She said hands-on experiences like this gives people a peek behind the curtain of the electoral process, which has a few benefits. Being a poll worker can help dispel some of the myths about things like voter fraud and debunk false or confusing narratives.
“People are feeling a little disconnected from the [electoral] process right now. They’re feeling uncertain about it … and this is absolutely one way to see the process in action,” Widestrom added.
The political climate has some feeling uneasy about being on the frontlines on voting day. After 2020, there were increased reports of voter intimidation, harassment and threats against election officials, according to a Reuters investigation.
Security and poll worker safety is important, Widestrom said, reassuring that constables are assigned to each location.
She encouraged people who are interested to enroll and attend training, which are available virtually and in-person.
Another benefit of being a poll worker can also open the door for those younger than 18, like Kavi Shahnawaz, 19, a chance to get involved before they even cast their first vote.
When Shahnawaz was 17 years old, they had an opportunity to enroll in “Involved at 17” through Central High School. Now a college freshman, Shahnawaz lauded the program and encouraged students around the city to lobby for the program if their school does not have it.
“Values of civic engagement are important to instill in people. It just encourages people to become civic actors early on,” they said, adding their personal takeaway. “I kind of got like a lay of the land. It was helpful for me when I was a first-time voter.”
Another plus was working the polls with their mom, and later casting their first vote at their middle school. Part of their motivation is personal. Being engaged is important to them as a trans masculine, second-generation South Asian.
“Being from Philly, which is such a communal city, we have to have each other’s backs when people in power don’t necessarily have ours,” Shahnawaz added.
During the last two years, poll worker enrollments have been inconsistent at best, taking the biggest hit after the COVID-19 pandemic. People who are immunocompromised or those 65 and older were wary of being in crowded spaces. That is still a concern for some folks, Widestrom said.
Republican City Commissioner Seth Bluestein said trends in enrollments typically map onto voter turnout. However, Philadelphia’s city commissioners picked up the pace with their recruitment efforts and focused on younger populations through its “Involved at 17” program.
He is particularly inspired to see younger people taking up the helm as operators and clerks.
But some Philadelphians are deterred from signing up because of the long hours.
“I have always been interested. But as long as Pennsylvania has the rule that shifts can’t be split, aka must work 13-plus hours, it seems pretty impossible for most working people,” one resident told Billy Penn through Facebook.
This issue has bubbled up from time to time, Bluestein said.
“[It’s] something we’re willing to explore and look into,” he said.
He agreed that the days are long, but at this point the commissioners say divvying up a 14-hour shift increases recruitment needs. Meaning, they’d need to double up on recruiting when they are already struggling.
“We always encourage more people to sign up in case there are parts of the city that have more vacancies than others,” Bluestein said.
Widestrom agreed, and added that most of the time, people will be assigned to work at their own polling location to avoid unnecessary commutes. However, not as many people sign up in some parts of the city such as the Northeast.
If that’s the case, and there is an overflow of workers at, say, the Center City division, workers will be asked if they can work at another location.
But there is good news.
“Six weeks out from the primary and we have exceeded our recruitment rates,” he said.
That doesn’t mean they don’t need new folks to greet voters, though. Polling sites still need more people to sign up and work the polls to ensure what Bluestein called “equitable distribution” of workers across the region.
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