'Fully staffed': Election offices relieved after feared poll-worker shortages don't materialize
Source: CNN Politics
Published 1:00 PM EDT, Sat October 26, 2024
CNN Threats and smears against election officials and the voting process havent 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 havent 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 Trumps 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
(16,692 posts)I took particular effort this year to thank everyone with whom I interacted. I thanked them for showing up.
bucolic_frolic
(47,270 posts)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
(4,391 posts)place be in a church. I detest both your example and mine.
Bernardo de La Paz
(51,074 posts)Marthe48
(19,163 posts)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
(36,600 posts)Deminpenn
(16,340 posts)On MSNBC, it was always the same story cited. There were never new reports, just the same old one endlessly repeated.
BumRushDaShow
(143,354 posts)HeartsCanHope
(747 posts)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
(24,245 posts)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.