Poll workers needed for May municipal election
Greene County officials are looking for poll workers for the May 18 municipal election.
Commissioner Mike Belding said there is always a need for poll workers in Greene County, but the need is more urgent than usual for the upcoming May election.
“Elections are made possible by citizens participating in the voting process and serving as poll workers across Pennsylvania,” he said. “We would obviously like to have a balanced representation serving as poll workers in our 42 voting precincts, and we strongly encourage anyone who may be interested in serving in that capacity to contact us.”
Poll workers are paid for their day of service. To be eligible to serve as a poll worker, interested residents must be registered to vote in the county where they wish to work, they cannot be a government official or employee and they will be required to work the entire day on election day.
Poll workers also cannot have their name on the current ballot, except for any individual who is a current elected judge of elections or inspector and is seeking re-election on the current ballot; in this specific case, they may work their respective polling location.
Anyone who is a current poll worker and is running for an office other than judge of elections or inspector may not work the polls.
Those interested in becoming a poll worker are encouraged to fill out the PA Poll Worker Interest Form on the Greene County elections office website, https://www.co.greene.pa.us/department-elections-voter-registration.
For more information, interested parties can call 724-852-5230.
Belding said a series of poll worker classes are scheduled to be held prior to the election, and those interested in being a poll worker are strongly encouraged to attend at least one class.
More information about those classes can be obtained by visiting the elections office website or the commissioners’ Facebook page, or by calling the elections office at 724-852-5230.
Locally, the county’s May 18 ballot will include races for coroner and sheriff, as well as for township officers, including supervisor, tax collector, auditor and constable; borough officers, including mayor and council members; judges of elections and inspectors; and directors for each of the county’s five school districts.
The ballot will also include races for state level offices, including Justice and Judge of the Supreme Court, Judge of the Commonwealth Court and Judge of the Court of Common Pleas.
Meanwhile, Greene County Election Director Judy Snyder said nearly all of the requested absentee and mail-in ballots have been sent out to area voters ahead of the May 18 primary.
Snyder said they had sent all 1,639 mail-in and absentee ballots out by April 27. That number was about 32% of the more than 5,000 ballots sent out in the county for last year’s presidential election. Snyder was unsure what voter turnout may be like for the primary.
“There are many factors that come into play when it comes to voter turnout,” Snyder said. “I could not say that this is necessarily an indicator.”
Voters have until May 11 to request a mail-in or absentee ballot. Unlike in November’s election, there is no three-day grace period for mail-in or absentee ballots to arrive, meaning they must be returned to the county elections office by 8 p.m. May 18 for them to count.
Reporter Mike Jones contributed to this article.