COLUMBUS, Ohio — Under Ohio Law, polling locations are not to have 50% or more of one party working a polling location. In Franklin County, those who recruit poll workers say finding Democrats to work isn’t the problem — it’s finding Republicans.
“It’s increasingly more difficult to attract those folks,” said Antone White, director of Franklin County Board of Elections.
Franklin County allocated $16 million to cover the March and November elections.
By comparison, in 2020, Franklin County spent $18,311,691.
Franklin County poll workers continue to be the highest paid in the state, earning a base of $133 for working election day. They can make a lot more depending on their title.
The BOE also pays for all their training.
This November, the BOE requested that the county move four seasonal workers to full-time pay to handle the projected increase in voters, both in person, and those who vote via absentee.
“We are going to see an increase in voter registration, we are going to see an increase in the amount of absentee applications come in, we are going to see an increase in people come to our early vote centers, so we need more people to handle those processes,” said White.
On the upcoming November ballot, former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden aren’t the ones headlining it.
There’s a fierce battle for the U.S. Senate seat between Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Bernie Moreno.
“We have three Ohio Supreme Court races as well,” said White.
That’s not all, Ohioans could vote on increasing the state’s minimum wage if supporters can get enough verified signatures by the July 9 deadline.
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