ASHEVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) —
It takes a bipartisan village to run an election.
As Buncombe County Election Services look to hire 550 poll workers for election day in November, and 200 for early voting, one challenge is recruiting enough registered Republicans to join Democrats and others in the non-partisan work, elections officials told 828newsNOW this week.
A poll worker information session is scheduled for noon on Thursday, June 13, at Election Services office, 59 Woodfin Place, Asheville.
It’s a chance for people of all political persuasions to learn how they can earn money while supporting the democratic process. No prior experience is needed. People have the option of working one full day or shifts for two weeks.
In a press release, election officials say the “perks” include learning how elections really work while building skills that can transfer to other jobs.
Given the drama of the last presidential election in 2020, when some poll workers came under scrutiny in other parts of the country, 828newsNOW asked county Election Services Director Corinne Duncan and Election Coordinator Karen Rae if they were facing any difficulties in recruiting this year.
“We are lucky to have hundreds of names of interested people submitted through our website, as well as those who have worked in the past,” they replied in a joint email forwarded through a county spokesperson. “When someone becomes a poll worker, they usually want to do it again.”
But there are a few challenges, they said. The law in North Carolina requires that election offices work with the two largest political parties to staff voting locations.
According to the latest data from the North Carolina State Board of Elections, in Buncombe County, the 91,043 unaffiliated voters actually constitute the largest group. As of June 8, there were 72,605 registered Democrats, 45,070 Republicans, 1,666 Libertarians and 287 members of the upstart No Labels Party.
“Both the Democratic and Republican parties in Buncombe County have collaborated well with our office,” the county election officials said. “There has been some challenge in finding registered Republicans (teams are bipartisan) as well as people who have good computer skills, which is a necessary part of the job.”
They said poll workers also need to be physically fit enough to assist with putting together and breaking down a voting location if they work on Election Day in November.
“Election Day work is very long and sometimes people drop out after giving it a try,” they said. “It can be tough to work 16 hours.”
They’re hoping people who are interested in helping the democratic process will attend the poll worker information session to learn about the process, the commitment it takes and the skills that are most needed.