Jack Walker Published

As Election Nears, 18 Counties Still Short On Poll Workers

A sign that reads, "Polling Place" is shown on a door.
The 18 West Virginia counties in need of additional polling staff this Election Day pay poll workers between $150 and $325, with total pay and conditions for pay varying by county.
Eric Douglas/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Listen

Eighteen counties in West Virginia still need more staff for their polling locations, with less than a month until the Nov. 5 general election.

According to the office of Secretary of State Mac Warner, Berkeley, Boone, Cabell, Fayette, Grant, Hampshire, Kanawha, Marion, Monroe, Nicholas, Ohio, Pleasants, Putnam, Randolph, Ritchie, Summers, Wayne and Wetzel counties are still actively seeking staff.

Local polling locations have struggled with worker recruitment and retention nationwide in recent years. Former workers have cited the COVID-19 pandemic, low pay and safety concerns in a tense political climate as reasons they did not return.

Warner’s office said it takes more than 8,000 paid poll workers to run an election statewide.

In West Virginia, poll workers are typically paid between $100 and $300 for working on Election Day, though the figure varies by county.

The Work Elections Project is a poll worker recruitment initiative led by a Washington, D.C. voting rights nonprofit called the Fair Elections Center. It compiles county-level poll worker pay information.

According to the project, poll workers in the counties denoted above can receive the following pay for working this year’s election:

CountyPoll worker pay rate
Berkeley$300 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Boone$200 to $270 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., plus an additional $50 for completing training.
Cabell$250 to $325 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Some positions also reimburse mileage.
Fayette$175 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., plus an additional $50 for completing training.
Grant$150 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
HampshireInformation not provided.*
Kanawha$260 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Marion$200 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Monroe$150 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Nicholas$225 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Ohio$225 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Pleasants$200 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., plus an additional $25 for completing training. Part-day shifts may also be offered. Additional pay is extended to poll workers in supervisory roles or those who drop off supplies at polling locations.
Putnam$200 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., plus an additional $75 for completing training. Some positions reimburse mileage.
Randolph$200 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Ritchie$200 to $250 for completing training and working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Summers$150 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus an additional $50 for completing training.
Wayne$200 to $275 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Some positions reimburse mileage.
Wetzel$290 for working Election Day from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., plus an additional $10 for completing training. Part-day shifts may also be offered.

* Hampshire County’s poll worker pay information was not posted on the Work Elections Project website. A representative at Hampshire County Clerk Eric Strite’s office said Tuesday he was not immediately available for comment. He did not respond to an email requesting clarification on the county’s poll worker pay rate.

Table Credit: Jack Walker/West Virginia Public Broadcasting

Residents still have time to register to work next month’s election. To apply to work as a poll worker, visit the secretary of state’s voter dashboard, GoVoteWV.com.

Tags Related to This Article

Related News