YORK, Pa. — Today, York County is celebrating its poll workers as part of Help America Vote Day. With the 2022 Midterms just 84 days away, the county board of elections is hoping to bolster its roster of volunteers.
“Depending on the size of the poll, we need between 5 to 15 folks helping us at the polling location," said Julie Wheeler, York County Commissioner.
Commissioner Wheeler says an average of 1,200 poll workers are required for each election in York County. Despite having a database of 3,800 volunteers, Wheeler says they’re working to recruit more people in anticipation of higher voter turnout in November.
“We want to do whatever we can to keep the lines short at polling locations," said Wheeler. "One way we can do that is have more poll workers.”
“Poll workers are essential. They’re the frontline workers to our democracy," said Leigh Chapman, acting Pa. State Secretary.
Chapman says over 9,000 polling locations throughout the commonwealth are looking for volunteers. She says Pennsylvania is working to recruit high school students to help fill in the poll worker shortage.
“In Pennsylvania, you can serve to be a poll worker at 17 years old, which is something other states don’t have," said Chapman. "It’s a great opportunity to really see how democracy is administered and to be a part of history as well.”
With the governor’s office and U.S. Senate seat up for grabs, election officials say having plenty of poll workers is crucial this November.
“If we don’t have sufficient poll workers, we’re not going to be successful running an organized and efficient election," said Wheeler.
Anyone who is interested in becoming a poll worker can fill out the Department of State's Poll Worker Interest Form.