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LISBON -- The Columbiana County elections board is looking for local government employees to serve as poll workers in the May 8 primary election and beyond.
Elections board director Adam Booth reported at this week's meeting they continue to have a major shortage despite repeated requests asking for people to serve as poll workers on election day.
Under Ohio law, four poll workers -- two Democrats and two Republicans -- are assigned to each polling place. Approximately 348 trained poll workers are needed to staff the 87 polling places, or precincts, in the county, with another 50 to 60 serving as spares in the event a poll worker calls off sick or is going to be out of town.
Booth reported in November they only have about 25 spares, most being Republicans, and things have not gotten much better since the last time he requested more help.
Since then, he mailed out a letter to heads of local governments and agencies in the county reminding them that under Ohio law their employees can serve as a poll worker if there is a policy in place granting them leave to do so. The workers would be paid by their employers for serving as poll workers on Election Day, but they would have to undergo training after hours.
The letter was mailed out March 29. "So I sent that letter to everyone in the hopes we get some response, but that remains to be seen," Booth said.
Teachers are the only class of public employees not allowed to receive paid time off to serve as poll workers, he said,
Booth was reluctant to take this drastic measure but the shortage of poll workers is getting worse every year as the current pool of mostly retirees either quit as they age or pass away.
Board member Larry Bowersock suggested recruiting 18-year-old high school students, and Booth has no doubt they would be good workers but he is concerned about relying heavily on a group that may be around for one or two elections before heading off to college or trade school.
"I know other counties have done it and someday I might approach the schools," he said.
Poll workers are paid $101 for a 14-hour day that begins about 6 a.m., with the presiding judge in each polling place receiving $120 and mileage for delivering the voting results to the board on election night.