In Focus This Week
Little Quality Control on Poll Worker Training Across States
Electionline report finds wide variation in training requirements, pay, accountability
America’s poll workers, the largest one-day workforce in the country, receive uneven job training and low pay, and face long hours and increasingly complex job requirements according to new research by electionline.org, a project of The Pew Center on the States.
According to the analysis, two million Americans serve as poll workers, most with only a few hours of specialized instruction. Consequently, they often come to work on Election Day only to find polling places understaffed because of no-shows or personnel shortages.
“Helping Americans Vote: Poll Worker Training” offers an in-depth look at state requirements for poll worker training and pay, as well as an examination of how localities confront problems with absenteeism and recruitment.
“Elections are fundamentally a human endeavor,” said Doug Chapin, electionline.org’s director. “Even as laws and technology evolve, elections still need people to make them work. This study suggests that some poll workers are not receiving the necessary training to administer an increasingly complex vote.”
The human element is an important part of election administration, and when it goes wrong it can affect the quality of the voting experience: late-arriving precinct captains can lead to disenfranchised voters; incorrect understanding of rules can lead to misapplication of identification or registration requirements; and lack of training can result in uncountable provisional ballots, poor instruction on machine use, or limited assistance for voters with disabilities or for those who speak languages other than English.
The environment for recruiting and training poll workers is growing more complex every day.
Among the requirements poll workers have had to implement over the last few years in the wake of the Help America Vote Act of 2002: implementation of new voting machines accessible for people with disabilities, mandates for provisional voting, expanded statewide registration databases and voter identification requirements for some first-time voters and voter ID laws in some states.
In addition, poll workers are finding that the voting equipment in their polling places continues to change, with a myriad of options in place for jurisdictions, from electronic machines for optical scanners to paperless electronic systems that require paper audit trails to aging lever systems.
The survey finds that there is no consistency among states on preparing poll workers. Specifically:
- Eighteen states leave training entirely to localities, while 10 use a combination of locally-crafted programs that employ some state-required materials.
- Poll-worker pay is almost universally low, with compensation for combined training and one day of election service – as much as 14 to 16 hours in some jurisdictions – usually combining to little more than the federal minimum wage.
- More often than not, compensation is determined locally, with pay ranging from the national low of zero in Vermont where poll workers are strictly volunteers to a high of $325 per Election Day in some New York jurisdictions. The average rate is approximately $100 for the day;
With such low pay, absenteeism and morale continue to be challenges, the report notes. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, one out of three poll workers trained to work on election day fails to show up for work. electionline.org’s survey found that strategies for managing absenteeism varied nationally:
- Four states seek to reduce absenteeism with penalties for no-shows, including a possible felony conviction in Indiana, Nebraska and Tennessee and a five-year ban from polling place employment in Kentucky.
- Twenty-three states allow the top-ranking election official at a precinct to find replacement workers among the voters at the polling place, while Kansas, Maine, New Hampshire, Mississippi, Oklahoma and West Virginia specifically mandate trained substitutes to be at the ready to fill in for staffing gaps in localities. Seventeen states have no specific guidance on the subject.
Election Reform News This Week
- The Supreme Court agreed this week to hear a case challenging Indiana’s law requiring government-issued photo-ID at the polls. In lower court cases, the state has defended the law as a way to combat voter fraud. The state’s Democratic Party as well as civil rights groups countered that the law unfairly targets poor and minority voters without any evidence that in-person voter fraud exists in Indiana. The voter ID challenge was among 17 new cases accepted by the court in advance of the start of its new term on Monday. The cases are Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, 07-21, and Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita, 07-25. The court is expected to issue a decision by late June, in time for the November general election.
- The U.S. Election Assistance Commission released a report this week which indicates that overseas military voters had less than half of their votes counted in the 2006 congressional elections. According to Stars and Stripes, the figures showed that only about 119,000 military personnel stationed outside the United States requested ballots in 2006 and that about 57,000 of those votes were successfully cast or counted. The EAC report stated that the major failures were on the ballot delivery side, with about 72 percent of those who failed to vote never receiving any of their requested election materials.
- Voters in North Carolina made history as they began early voting recently. A new state law allows residents to register and early vote on the same day, up to three days prior to election day. According to the News & Observer, state election officials expect overall turnout to jump by 5.4 percent, and more than 10 percent for the youngest voter now that restrictions on registration have been dropped. Those who choose to register and vote during the early period use an absentee ballot. Those ballots can be disqualified if a voter’s identity, checked through drivers’ licenses and Social Security numbers, proves to be false. “This is a great balance,” State Elections Director Gary Bartlett told the paper. “It gives that last-minute voter a chance.”
- Just in time for the 2008 presidential election, Hollywood — HBO to be exact — is bringing the events surrounding the 2000 presidential election to the small screen with a movie entitled “Recount.” According to Variety, the film shows the legal and political maneuvering from the point of view of both the Bush and Gore camps. Kevin Spacey will play Ron Klain, former chief of staff to vice president Al Gore and one of the lead attorneys who challenged the voting results in Florida. Lara Dern is set to play former Florida Secretary of State Kathleen Harris. No word yet on who will pay chad. The movie is set to begin filming in Florida in October and is scheduled to air sometime before November 2008.
Opinions This Week
National: Ex-felon voting, Voter registration, Voter ID, II, III, Voting technology
California: Vote counting
Connecticut: Voting technology
Florida: Voting technology
Georgia: Voter ID
Indiana: Voter registration
Mississippi: Voter ID
New Jersey: Voting machines, II
North Carolina: Voting technology
Ohio: Election data, Cuyahoga County poll workers, Akron absentee ballots
Oregon: Non-affiliated voters
Pennsylvania: Voting machines, Polling places
Tennessee: Memphis election, II
Texas: YISD special election, Voter education
Utah: Voting machines
Some sites require registration
Job Postings This Week
All job listings must be received by 12 p.m. Eastern on Wednesday for publication in our Thursday newsletter. Job listings are free but may be edited for length. Whenever possible, include Internet information. Please email job postings to mmoretti@electionline.org
Director of Procurement and Voting Systems — Maryland State Board of Elections. Employee provides direction and guidance to the Division personnel for the procurement of the statewide voting system, as well as, all goods and services for SBE. The employee is further responsible for the procurement of the goods and services necessary to meet the mandated goals, objectives and mission of the Agency. The employee serves as the lead negotiator, contract manager and strategic planner for the bulk of procurement contracts at the agency, including all required FMIS documentation/facilitation. The individual will oversee the RFP development/procurement of entirely new statewide multimillion-dollar voting system procurement, pending future funding of SB392/HB18. The employee assists with voting system certification processes, policies, and procedures, to ensure that voting system manufacturers comply with the provisions of Election Law Article and COMAR. Employee must maintain a working knowledge of the Election Law Article and Code of Maryland Regulations as they pertain to elections, election management and procurement and good working relationship with DBM. Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. Extensive experience and strong skills in project management, including ability to balance multiple projects while performing at a high level in a demanding fast-paced environment. Working knowledge of State procurement policies, procedures, COMAR Regulations (Title 21), Financial Management Information System (FMIS), and ADPICS coding instructions/application. Eight years of experience in administrative or professional work. Three years of this experience must have involved the supervision of other employees or exercising responsibility for program development. Salary: $55,388 – $88,927. Application: Submit a Maryland State Application/Resume and cover letter to Elizabeth del Castillo via fax to 410-974-2019, e-mail ldelcastillo@elections.state.md.us or mail to Elizabeth del Castillo, State Board of Elections, Office of Budget and Finance, 151 West Street, Suite 200, P.O. Box 6486, Annapolis, Maryland 21401.
Legal Counsel— Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Legal Counsel is the chief executive officer and chief of staff for the Government Accountability Board and serves at the pleasure of the board. Qualifications: Law degree plus a minimum of five years experience in administrative or prosecutorial practice, knowledge of the election process and ethics regulation, and the ability to (1) communicate clearly and concisely, orally, and in writing, (2) establish and maintain effective working relationships, (3) analyze situations quickly and accurately and develop effective courses of action, and (4) plan, organize, and consult with others. Must be admitted to practice law in the State of Wisconsin or become admitted within six months of appointment. May never have served in or have been a candidate for a partisan state or local office or been a lobbyist as defined by s. 13.62 (11), Stats. Additionally, during the 12 months prior to appointment and during employment, the Legal Counsel may neither make a contribution to a candidate for a partisan state or local office nor, while employed, become a candidate for a state office or partisan local office. Salary: $84,733 to $131,337 Application: Send a letter of interest and résumé to: Government Accountability Board, PO Box 2536, Madison, WI 53701-2536. A complete position description is available at: www.legis.state.wi.us/lc. Deadline: Review of applications begins Oct. 1 and is ongoing.
Legal Counsel— Unity08 is a grassroots political movement with an audacious goal: to elect a Unity Ticket chosen by the people to the presidency and vice-presidency of the United States. To accomplish this, we need to get on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia and we need your help to accomplish this. We are looking for volunteer legal counsel in all 50 states who have some expertise in ballot access. We are also looking for young lawyers, law students, and pre-law/political science, etc undergrads with interest and background in election law, ballot access, and direct democracy to help us achieve our goal. If interested, contact Andy Wilson at awilson@unity08.com- put as the subject line “Volunteer Legal Counsel” and the state in which you reside/have expertise (ie: Volunteer Legal Counsel- CA). If you are an undergraduate student but are interested in volunteering, please make the subject line similar to “Ballot Access Volunteer – CA.
Management and Program Specialist — U.S. Election Assistance Commission. Incumbent will contribute to the management of HAVA payments to states, the Help America Vote College Program, and the National Student Parent Mock Election grants; support the implementation of the NVRA; contribute to the management of the EAC Language Accessibility Program; prepare information and presentations to be presented at conferences, hearings and public meetings. Qualifications: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level close to the work of this job that has given you the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully perform. Specialized experience is evidenced by performing a variety of progressively responsible and high-level assignments or activities. B.A. or B.S., and one year of specialized experience. You must be a U.S. citizen to qualify for this position. You will need to successfully complete background security investigation. Salary: $50,703 – $86,801. Application: Applicants must submit an Optional Application for Federal Employment, OF 612, which is available online, or a resume that includes the same information. Deadline: Oct. 5, 2007.