U.S. Short at Least 500,000 Poll Workers (AP)

[cthrumatrix]

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.


Desperate for workers, the Election Assistance Commission urged businesses and federal agencies to give volunteers the day off with pay to staff the polls. But as the last deadline for training new workers passed Friday, critical shortages remained in many states.


"If the criminal justice system didn't have access to jurors, the criminal justice system wouldn't exist. Poll workers are just as important as jurors," said DeForest Soaries Jr., chairman of the EAC and former New Jersey secretary of state.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041101/ap_on_el_ge/poll_workers&cid=548&ncid=716

goes on to say that the sortage is "accute in major cities"....shocked I tell you...WTF have people been doing for 4 yrs.

[July]

1. In Spain, election workers are citizens called up just like jurors.

And you can get in a heap of trouble if you don't show up for your election duty.

[Moderator]

2. Duplicate topic

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=948192