Election offices seek younger, tech-savvy poll workers


The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/17/08

When the Fulton County elections office realized its need for people who could use computers at their polling sites, officials went to where they could find hordes of tech literati.

They went to the county's high schools and colleges and added a youthful twist to the legions of seniors and retirees who have long staffed polling places.

Gwinnett and DeKalb counties have used the same strategy. They've tapped the high schools to recruit poll workers, particularly those who know their way around a laptop, in anticipation of high voter turnout in November.

"Since the presidential preference primary, when we sat down and kind of evaluated what took place at the polls, we definitely made it part of our strategic plan to go after college students and high school students, who are more familiar with working on a computer," said Mark Henderson, Fulton's voter education coordinator.

Henderson said the county was looking for about 200 additional workers. Election officials visited high schools across Fulton as well as Georgia State, Georgia Tech and the Atlanta University Center colleges, among others, setting up tables in lunch rooms and talking to civics classes.

Since the recruitment began after the February presidential primary, the office has received 800 applications, Henderson said.

DeKalb County's election has about 60 people signed up between the ages of 16 to 24. Cedar Grove, Lithonia, Miller Grove and Southwest DeKalb high schools in particular have responded with workers.

"The younger people seem to be a little more computer literate," said Linda Latimore, voter registrations and elections director. "We'd love to have more students."

The office is still recruiting for the general primary on July 15 and the November general election.

Vote for this story!

Inside AJC.COM

Laugh out loud!

Video:  Get your lunchtime laugh with Atlanta's hottest comedians.

Best of the Big A!

Which sports bar did you vote the best? Plus vote for your favorite food event.

Real Housewives of Atlanta

Meet the Atlanta women behind Bravo's latest installment of its hit reality show.

Dining out

Forget waiting in line! Make online reservations.

Who has the fine whine?

Who's the whiniest football coach in the SEC? Tell Metro Atlanta what you think.

Ballot basics

Know before you go! Compare candidates, issues and see what's on your ballot.

Fall Dining Guide

Atlanta Restaurant of the Year, what's new on various menus, Top 50 reviews and more!

Find the hottest ZIPs

In this struggling economy, find out which neighborhoods are still hottest in sales and values.

Does your pay stack up?

Compare Atlanta salaries in hundreds of job categories.

Search AJC Archives

1985 to present     1868 - 1939 Advanced search

Kudzu.com services Find the right people for the job

Keyword     Business Name

AJCPets » The community for Atlanta pet lovers

Do Good Search for non-profit causes near you