WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — Employees in the Luzerne County Bureau of Elections are fueling up for next month's primary, and leaders are looking for folks to step up and work the polls.
"We have some already, but we're looking for more," said Eryn Harvey, Luzerne County director of elections.
Despite all the issues in November's election with a ballot paper shortage, Harvey says the supply of poll workers is about the same.
"We always have some difficulties trying to get people. It's a long day; you start at about 6 a.m., and you don't get done until about 8:30, 9 o'clock, whenever you take the returns back here to the bureau."
Poll workers are compensated. Judges of elections are paid a base of $220. For other poll workers, pay starts at $195.
"Judge of elections is the person who runs that certain precinct. So, we have minority inspector, we have just people, books, we have a lot of different roles."
Poll workers must be 18 years old and a registered voter in Luzerne County. Poll workers cannot be a current or former county employee. There is paid training for poll workers that will take place at Penn Place in Wilkes-Barre, but it is optional.
"Training is a little bit different. We're trying to get workers to know that we're using paper ballots, to deal with different situations that might come up with them. So, we're just trying to pound that in a training to everybody that it's going to be different."
Rules about write-ins on paper ballots are something poll workers will help remind voters of this time around.
"Just make sure that you fill in the bubble for the write-ins because if you don't, it will not count. So even though you write the person's name and you have to make sure that you fill in the oval right next to it to make sure the vote counts," Harvey said.
More information on being a poll worker in Luzerne County is posted on the county website.