Kern County is less than 50 days away from the 2020 elections, and it seems that poll worker sign-ups have increased since 23ABC last talked to Kern Vote in August.
23ABC'ss Kristin Vartan has an update on the status of poll worker sign-ups and training this year.
DEPARTMENT WHERE KERN VOTE ISACTIVELY RECRUITING NEWPOLL WORKERS FROM OUR COMMUNITY.LAST TIME 23ABC SPOKE WITH KERNCOUNTY'S AUDITOR- CONTROLLERCLERK, KERN VOTE HAD SECURED 400POLL WORKERS, THAT NUMBER IS NOWABOUT 1300.
THEY NORMALLY HAVEAROUND 2000 BY THE ELECTIONS ANDDON'T SEEM TO BE TOO WORRIEDABOUT MEETING THAT NUMBERTHIS YEAR.HERE'S WHAT THE IN-PERSON VOTINGPROCESS WILL LOOK LIKEON ELECTION DAY FOR POLL WORKERSAND VOTERS.LAST PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION,MISINFORMATIAND FOREIGN INTERFERENCEINFILTRATED THE VOTING PROCESS.THIS TIME AROUND, THE OBSTACLEHAS BEEN, YOUGUESSED IT: COVID-19.INCUMBENTS WITH PREEXISTINGCONDITIONS OR AN AGE THATRENDERS THEM SUSCEPTIBLE TOCOVID-19, ARE UNABLE TO MANTHE POLLS IN KERN COUNTY THISYEAR.BUT KERN COUNTY'SAUDITOR-CONTROLLCLERK, MARY BEDARD SAYS THATFRESH APPLICATIONS FROM THECOMMUNITY HAVE THANKFULLYEMERGED."WE REALLY APPRECIATE WHENPEOPLE REALLY FEEL LIKE IT'S ACIVIC DUTY THAT THEY CAN PERFORMFOR THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS.THAT'S WHERE I THINK WE'REGETTING A LOT OF THESEVOLUNTEERS, IS PEOPLE LIKE THAT,WHERE THEY SEE THE IMPORTANCE OFTHIS TIME AROUND.
"SHE SAYS POLL WORKERS WILLFOLLOW C-D-C GUIDELINES FROMTRAINING TO ELECTION DAY."THE POLL WORKERS GENERALLY GOIN THENIGHT BEFORE TO GET THE BASICSSET UP, SO WE'LL BE WIPING DOWNWITH DISINFECTANT TABLES ANDANYTHING OF COMMON USE THATPEOPLE WOULD BE USING.
THENDURING THE DAY WE'LL BEDISINFECTING THE VOTING BOOTHAREABETWEEN VOTERS.
AND WE'RE GOINGTO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO BRINGTHEIR OWN PENS."MOST POLL WORKER TRAINING WILLBE ONLINE.
SOME IN-PERSONSESSIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED FORANYONE WITHOUTINTERNET OR THOSE SPECIFICALLYTRAINED TO BE 'EXPERTS' ONCOVID-RELATED ISSUES AT EACHPRECINCT.BEDARD SAYS KERN VOTE WILLINTENTIONALLY STATION POLLWORKERS AT SITES CLOSEST TOWHERE THEY LIV"SO THEY ARE REALLY WITHIN THEIRCOMMUNITY, SO THE POLL WORKERSWILL REFLECT THE COMMUNITY THATIS GOING TO BE VOTING AT THATPOLL SITE.KERN VOTE IS ALSO SEEKINGBILINGUAL POLL WORKERS.
ANYONEINTERESTED IN SIGNING UP TO WORKTHE POLLS CAN GO TOKERNVOTE.COM.MOST NEWCOMERS WILL BE ASSIGNEDAS CLERKS.ALSO NEW THIS YEAR: KERN VOTEWILL HOST CURBSIDE DROP- OFFEVENTS, THE THREE WEEKENDSLEADING UP TO THE ELECTIONS TOENCOURAGE VOTING AHEAD OF TIME.WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION ONOUR COMMUNITY CALENDAR ON OURWEBSITE, TURNTO23.COM.FOR NOW, I'M KRISTIN VARTAN,LIVE FROM DOWNTOWN BAKERSFIELD,FOR 23ABC CONNECTING YOU.
Early voting is around the corner, what you need to know
COVID-19 made it difficult to find poll workers in the June election and that is still the case regarding experienced poll workers...
