Allen County Democratic, Republican parties still in need of poll workers

COVID-19 made it difficult to find poll workers in the June election and that is still the case regarding experienced poll workers.

However, more young people are stepping up to help fill the need.

It been harder for the allen county republican and democratic parties to find experienced poll workers this year because of covid-19.and they still need more before nove caleb ird.

Fox 55 saylor explains how the virus and social activism is changing who is manning the polls.

Covid-19 significantly changed the way going to the polls looked.

There was plexi-glass and social distancing.

Allen county republican party chai man steve shine says it been difficult, even in the june election, to find willing workers.

Emographically, the poll workers have historically been a little bit in the upper category, a little bit older those individuals have some concern about being exposed to virus situation.

Chairwoman misti meehan says the virus is having a different impact on their poll worker prosphat we have, fortunately, is a large number of people that are stepping up because of the coronavirus and they feel theye a unger.

They little more healthy than the people they typically see when they go to vote or working the polls.

Those people are stepping up to work on election day.

Shine still ey looking for poll workers to fill those final positions, as well as alternates incase someone work that day shine estimates his party still needs between 50 and 100 poll workers whereas meehan says they only need a handful to meet their quota.

Part of the struggle for the republicans is because they need 332 poll workers versus the 256 democratic workers, that because whatever party is the winner of the secretary of state vote for the county, in a case ounty republican connie lawson, the inspector role at each polling location goes to a republican to help meet the need, shine sayse looking at younger people who want to help ertainly younger individuals, individuals who are in high school in want to participate is a welcome reservoir of individuals, and we have actually been recruiting individuals who are in in high school to man the polls.

It everything going on in the world, not just the virus, that motivating younger people to be poll workers he totality of the situ of what is going on right now is waking people up and they are paying attention more and they are getting involved more and that is a very happy consequence for a very abysmal if you wish to be a poll worker this year, you can cont ct your party headquarters or fill out an application on the allen coun y election board website.

That contact information can be found on our website,