U.S. Short at Least 500,000 Poll Workers

[BlueNomad]

Oct 31, 5:33 PM EST

U.S. Short at Least 500,000 Poll Workers

By RACHEL KONRAD
Associated Press Writer

A shortage of at least 500,000 poll workers nationwide means many voters could face long lines, cranky volunteers, polling places that don't open or close on schedule and the chance that results won't be known until long after the polls are closed.

Roughly 1.4 million people have been trained to serve as poll workers on Tuesday, about the same as four years ago, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission. But nearly 2 million will be needed to deal with expected heavy turnout, huge numbers of first-time voters and unfamiliar touch-screen machines in hundreds of counties...

The shortage is acute in urban areas where workers should be able to speak multiple languages. Soaries is most worried about New York City, Washington, St. Louis, Chicago and Los Angeles...

Florida, Arizona, Nevada and other Sunshine Belt states with low costs of living and plentiful housing have an ample supply of retirees. But their exodus drained the Eastern seaboard and upper Midwest of knowledgeable volunteers.

<http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POLL_WORKERS?SITE=1010WINS&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT>

[Mika]

1. Set up, like a bowling pin..

Knocked down, get back up again..

[awgoodkitty]

2. Just signed up to work it

If you're in California, they need people pretty badly.

http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_d.htm

[Hog lover]

3. All DUers able to do so should sign up for next election.

My poll workers are 90% really old folks. I don't see how they could really be that good with newer technology. (and no offense to older folks; I am no spring chicken, but still at work and use a computer all the time).

[OKNancy]

5. Do it his election - It's not too late!!

THey'll give you a quick training, but I heard the head of elections on NPR say that if you wanted to do it, that they were so needy, that they would get you signed up and trained.

[maddezmom]

4. similar topic here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x948192

[OKNancy]

6. LOL - I knew I had read that somewhere

[Moderator]

7. Duplicate

:-(

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x948192