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Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Wanted: More poll workers, please
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dawnya Fisher Lindsey cast an early ballot about the same time I did Monday morning.
Frankly, there was no need for me to vote early for the July 15 primary, but since I was at the “advance voting site,” trying to flush out a column topic, I seized the opportunity.
Lindsey, on the other hand, had no choice. She voted because she’ll be working the day of the July 15 general primary. As a poll manager, no less.
Speaking of poll workers, the county could use some more to ensure a smooth voting process. Gwinnett has 163 polling sites; each location needs anywhere from eight to 10 poll workers, said Julie Moore, manager of the polling site in the activities building off Singleton Road. She gave me a pamphlet about becoming a poll official, and asked me to make an appeal to the public to help fill the gap.
First, you have to be a U.S. citizen and Gwinnett resident, 18 or older, who can read, write and speak English. You are required to take a (paid) online training course and complete an application. If you’re hired, be prepared for a long day.
Poll officials must report to their assigned location at 6 a.m. on election day. They stay put until the polls close at 7 p.m. and the poll manager releases them.
I’m sure people don’t do it for the paycheck, but money is involved. It’s minuscule. A poll manager pockets $225; assistant managers earn $140, and clerks get $95.
“This appeals to people’s sense of citizenship,” Moore told me. “And we need workers. Please.”
This is Lindsey’s first stint as a poll worker. She’ll oversee precinct No. 34 - Lilburn Christian Church off Arcado Road - and needs to recruit at least one more poll worker, if you’re interested.
“I wanted to really see how an election works and to understand the process,” she told me while we chatted outside the polling station. “I saw something where [county elections supervisor Lynn Ledford] was requesting workers, so I said, ‘OK, I’ll do that.’ It’s interesting to see people come and vote, their concept of it.”
Poll work comes naturally for Lindsey. She grew up on military bases across the country. Her father spent 20 years in the Air Force. The family lived all over the world, among all types of nationalities. The responsibility of serving one’s country, either at the ballot box or as an overseer in the election process, has been ingrained in her. It’s her civic duty.
“There’s really no excuse for not voting,” she said. “Some of it is pure laziness.”
When I voted Monday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by the steady stream of people who arrived to vote early. Moore, the site manager, was, too. She told me she didn’t expect this week’s turnout to be earth-shaking, though, just a tuneup for the early voting before the Nov. 4 general election.
“We aren’t expecting a big turnout, but we’re ready for it,” she said. “If we do 1,000, we’ll be doing pretty good. But we expect to be slammed in November.”
Gwinnett County voters can vote early all week at the county elections office (455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, Lawrenceville) or these locations: Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville; the Dacula Activity Building, 2735 Old Auburn Road, Dacula; the George Pierce Community Center, 55 Buford Highway, Suwanee; and the Singleton Road Activity Building, 5220 Singleton Road, Norcross. All locations open at 9 a.m. daily; the satellite locations stay open till 7 p.m.
Rick Badie’s column appears on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Contact him at 770-263-3875 or e-mail: rbadie@ajc.com.
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