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LISBON -- With an earlier primary in a presidential election year, the county Board of Elections have an even bigger concern than usual about a lack of poll workers, and the county commissioners responded by giving county employees a chance to help them out.
During Wednesday's meeting, commissioners passed a resolution allowing county employees to take the day off with pay to assist on election day both on March 17 for the primary and Nov. 3 for the general election. However, if they are required to attend training during the workday, the employee will have to obtain permission and use vacation, personal or compensatory pay.
Additionally, the commissioners' resolution only applies to non-bargaining employees and requires the poll worker to work the entire day of the election to qualify for their pay. It also limits the employees allowed to participate by noting that a department cannot be left short of the needed number of employees to operate for the day and the county supervisor has the right to limit it if too many of their employees have applied.
Kim Fusco, the director of the Board of Elections, said the county employees will also be paid the poll worker daily rate of $101.50 for an election worker or $120 plus mileage for a location manager.
Fusco said she reached out and asked for the commissioners to consider the resolution, which they passed two years ago for the elections. One of the issues with an early primary is the number of snowbird poll workers, who could be back in Columbiana County for a May primary but not for one in March.
Additionally, Fusco indicated finding enough poll workers when there needs to be even amounts -- two from each political party or two from one party, one from the other and one non-partisan -- which tends to be difficult.
While they need Republican poll workers, the bigger need is for Democrats or non-partisan poll workers.
Besides the four people at each polling place, the board of elections requires rovers, who can travel between the various polling places and deliver equipment.
"It's really not political," Fusco said of those serving as poll workers on election day. "It's a civic duty. We're just trying to make it more appealing for the employees. Most people after they have been trained and done it, do it again. They get a good feeling out of it."
Anyone interested in serving as a poll worker can contact the elections board.
djohnson@mojonews.com