'Fully staffed': Election offices relieved after feared poll-worker shortages don't materialize

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Published 1:00 PM EDT, Sat October 26, 2024


CNN — Threats and smears against election officials and the voting process haven’t killed Americans’ confidence in the system and willingness to work the polls this year. Election administrators across the country, including the top seven battleground states and big cities like Los Angeles and Minneapolis, are breathing a sigh of relief after the feared shortages of poll workers haven’t materialized, according to interviews with more than 25 election officials.

CNN surveyed a variety of Democratic and Republican election workers, who largely said they are in good shape and have filled their ranks of volunteers and paid staffers who work at polling places, process mail ballots and help run the election. The top election official in Raleigh, North Carolina, said they are “fully staffed” with more than 3,000 workers trained for this year, a slight increase from 2020. The clerk of a small Michigan town near Lansing said he has more poll workers than he needs.

And officials in Atlanta said they even “had to cut off recruitment” after a surge of interest. “Based on recent interactions, large election jurisdictions are presently well-positioned to meet their poll worker staffing needs,” said Carolina Lopez, executive director of the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions, a nonprofit that works with officials from both parties who run nearly 100 of the biggest election offices across the country.

Former President Donald Trump’s actions in 2020 – constant lying about how elections are run followed by an attempt to overturn the results – ushered in a toxic era where once-quiet election offices transformed into the dangerous frontlines of US democracy.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/10/26/politics/election-trust-in-voting-process/index.html

[zipplewrath]

1. I thanked them

I took particular effort this year to thank everyone with whom I interacted. I thanked them for showing up.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. There are the fearless who refuse to be bullied and want to save our democracy!

I voted there were 2 drop box watchers, on either side, I think they were paid county workers, and I think some lunatic religious fascist lurking outside greeting and counting. Post office overrun with Turning Point ballot literature. Legal to use a government building to distribute that twisted shit?

[slightlv]

5. Probably as legal as it is to have my polling

place be in a church. I detest both your example and mine.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. tRump's ground game is Musky at best and generally stinks. . . . . . nt

[Marthe48]

4. I was inspired by the stories

I read that poll workers were getting intimidated. I got trained and worked the special election in Ohio in June and will work the general election on Nov. 5.

We were given another training session for the general and the instructors said there were a lot of people coming to the sessions. I'm glad to hear that there is resolve even if there is a threat of violence.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

6. Thank you!

[Deminpenn]

7. No surprise. These stories about poll workers were always wildly overblown

On MSNBC, it was always the same story cited. There were never new reports, just the same old one endlessly repeated.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. ???

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143328534

[HeartsCanHope]

9. I made sure I thanked them all, too.

Our poll workers were polite, kind, and had infinite patience. To anyone on DU that is a poll worker, thank you! You are awesome.

[SWBTATTReg]

10. The strength of the American character cannot be underestimated. When bullies try and upstage that, these bullies

will find out quickly that the American character is far stronger than they gave us credit for.

I applaud all of those who have volunteered for these positions, in order to make our elections fair and free, and safe too.