Franklin County elections board, Republican Party push for more GOP poll workers
The Franklin County Board of Elections and local Republican Party are pushing for more GOP poll workers needed for the November election.
The Board of Elections, requiring 5,600 poll workers, has filled 4,833 positions, with 1,044 Republicans occupying those roles as of Thursday. There are 2,297 and1,492 Democratic and unaffiliated poll workers, respectively.
According to state law, no more than half a county’s poll workers can be affiliated with a single party. The state determines party affiliation based on whether a voter took a Republican or Democratic ballot in the primary election.
Josh Jaffe, chairman of the Franklin County Republican Party Executive Committee, said the organization has partnered with the Board of Elections and Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose to push for additional recruitment.
Since July, the organizations have urged county residents to sign up for poll worker positions through Facebook ads, email distribution lists and organizational outreach.
"Franklin County voters are really stepping up," Jaffe said. "They understand that there's a need. This is an important way to make sure our democracy functions and the voters here are really starting to fill that need."
Ed Leonard, director of the the Franklin County Board of Elections, said it's usually difficult drawing in Republican poll workers in the county, mainly because of the large number of Democratic voters.
"The responses we've been getting have been tremendous," Leonard said. "We're doing very well in that regard. We're still placing people. If someone has expressed interest and they haven't gotten a response, just be patient with us."
With nearly 10,000 residents awaiting responses from the board, Leonard said the county will be prepared come Nov. 3. And if there's a continued absence in Republican poll workers, the board will place unaffiliated party members in their place to create an even divide.
"We don't want to turn folks away, but we got a tremendous outpour of support," he said. "I think we're in very good shape when it comes to the number of people we need."
In the past, there's typically been a generational shift in poll judges and workers at particular sites, he said. There hasn't been that generational turn over with younger voters signing up for poll worker positions due to health concerns surrounding COVID-19.
And as much as the board of elections can put online, the department is doing it, Leonard said. Poll workers can log-in to a virtual portal to train and review their assigned roles. The board is also expanding from 3,800 poll workers to 5,600 to do curbside voting and to form a hygienic team to clean voting equipment.
For now, Leonard said the department is focused on notifying applicants about their selections. assigning poll locations and scheduling training sessions. And while this year looks different from past elections, the department will make all necessary adjustments to ensure this year's election goes smoothly.