The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Elections Board issues call for help
Entity seeking recruitment help, poll workers for March 17 primary
Ross McDonald, director of the Lake County Elections Board, spoke bluntly when recently addressing the Lake County commissioners.
“We need all the help we can get,” he said, appealing to the board for assistance in recruiting poll workers for the upcoming Ohio primary election.
“All three of you bring something to the table as far as connections in business, leadership and time served on other public bodies,” McDonald said. “Encouraging county workers to serve as election officials, giving them permission and incentive, is something we appreciate.
“To conduct a countywide election, it takes about 1,000 Lake County residents, when you factor in our seasonal staff, our election day staff and our reserve workers,” McDonald said. “And really, of all elections, presidential primaries are the most difficult for us to recruit for because a lot of our workforce is down south somewhere, somewhere warm, but we’re still left with the problem to fill those shortages.”
To make matters more challenging, the Ohio General Assembly and its twoyear operating budget moved this year’s primary to March 17, which, McDonald conceded, will not only affect recruitment efforts, but also, possibly, voter turnout.
Some areas, most notably Downtown Willoughby, will unequivocally be affected due to the number of “festive” revelers celebrating St. Patrick’s Day.
“We’re game planning for all sorts of scenarios,” McDonald said. “Our deputy director, Jan Clair, has never worked on St. Patrick’s Day. She had a standing rule, explicitly stating exactly that, so I’m kind of begging and pleading her to show up on the 17th, but the verdict is still out whether or not she will.”
As of Jan. 21, there are only 55 days until voters turn out in March, a small window not at all lost on McDonald or his staff. Nevertheless, with less than two months until the primary, training poll workers soon is of the utmost priority.
“That deadline is in our face right now,” McDonald said
Poll workers must undertake a 2 1/2-hour training period, which is set up on multiple days and times to accommodate respective schedules. Training begins Feb. 1, the elections board confirms.
McDonald didn’t mince words when revealing the 5:30 a.m. start on Election Day.
“People are in for a long day, with the polls closing at 7:30 p.m.,” he said. “Organizations can even use working at the polls as a fundraiser, where a volunteer’s pay, $150, is donated back.
“And there’s usually a potluck involved and plenty of coffee to keep you charged up, and you’re literally involved in making history. It’s a presidential election year and we’re going to have a historic turnout, I think.”
Voter registration closes Feb. 18, with early voting for those overseas beginning Jan. 31 and Feb. 19 for those stateside, at the Lake County Administration Center.
With the primary, ballots will be Democrat and Republican,
with a Libertarian ballot as well. Fortunately, for the Libertarian ballots, Lake County’s system will not require a lot of extra preparation and work.
“We’ve concentrated on new efforts, too, to recruit more workers, including encouraging employers to allow individuals to allow people to take the day off and work the polls,” McDonald said, adding school districts have also been contacted about allowing seniors aged 17 and older to have the day off to work the polls.
By contrast, McDonald emphasized, many districts haven’t promoted the opportunity for participation as the Perry, Kirtland and Wickliffe schools have.
“I came from Delaware County prior to coming here to Lake County and we had a very thriving county release program that allowed county employees to work the polls,” McDonald said, noting sections of the Ohio Revised Code detailing the permissibility of county employees working elections.
“The Lake County Recorder, Becky Lynch, and Clerk of Courts, Maureen Kelly, have done a great job encouraging their respective employees to partake, and have provided us with a lot of workers for our elections,” he said. “The November election will recruit itself, people are eager to be a part of it, but with presidential primaries, things tend to get a bit challenging, especially on the heels of an audit of the November election in 2019.”
For more information, contact the Lake County Elections Board at 440350-2700.