PENNSYLVANIA, USA — With the buildup to November's general election picking up steam, state and local election leaders are looking to monitor polling site security and ensure that there are enough people to run them.
"In Pennsylvania, for election day to run smoothly we need roughly 45,000 election poll workers working at more than 9,000 polling places across Pennsylvania," said Al Schmidt, Secretary of the Commonwealth.
In Luzerne County, more than 1200 poll workers are needed to oversee the county's 186 precincts.
"What we are mainly concerned about, is making sure that we've got enough workers that they are all adequately trained in the pre-election to minimize any potential issues," said Emily Cook, Luzerne County Election Director.
There's been a big focus on Luzerne County in the race to the White House this November. That's why elections Director Emily Cook expects interest to push workers to the polls.
"You know it's a big election year, so I think a lot of people are very much looking forward to the opportunity to serve their community," added Cook.
"The last big presidential election, we had a lot of people who came in, so I hope that this year we have more people to help us at the polls," said Rich Banick, Lackawanna County Poll Worker.
Rich Banick has worked at polling sites in Lackawanna County since 2010. While an election this big can create problems, he says that the polls can be rewarding.
"With the political climate in America, I figure that it's a tiny little thing that I can do to help make sure the election is secure," added Banick.
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