LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With just over a week until election day, the Kentucky secretary of state’s office tells Spectrum News 1 that there will be enough poll workers to keep precincts open across the state. The news comes after a reported shortage in August. 

What You Need To Know

  • The Kentucky secretary of state’s office says there will be enough poll workers to keep precincts open across the state

  • All 2000 election officers in Jefferson County have completed their training and are ready to work on Election Day

  • The Kentucky Secretary of State’s office also partnered with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers, Kentucky Wineries Association, and Kentucky Restaurant Association to help recruit poll workers
  • Thursday through Saturday is the in-person, no-excuse voting period across Kentucky. Election Day is Nov. 5

 
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Anissa Boller will be working the polls in Louisville on Election Day. Boller says it all started with her mother-in-law encouraging the whole family to volunteer and now she has been a poll worker for 27 years.

“I’m taking off Election Day. If I don’t already have it off, I’m going to work the polls. That’s not even an option,” said Boller.

Boller says it’s a priority of hers to work the polls every year and she hopes others will too.

“It is your job to give back to your community, to make a better place to live in. And we should all want to give back because our ancestors fought and gave us the right to work at the polls and be accounted for,” said Boller.

Director of Communications for the Jefferson County clerk’s office Ashley Tinius says recruitment wasn’t all that hard, and that it’s the non-presidential elections that are harder to recruit. All 2,000 election officers in Jefferson County have completed their training and are ready to work on Election Day. 

“At the beginning, we were in need of election officers. But because of the popularity of this election and people feeling passionately, it was pretty easy for us to recruit people this time around,” Tinius said.

The Kentucky secretary of state’s office partnered with the Kentucky Guild of Brewers, Kentucky Wineries Association, and Kentucky Restaurant Association to help recruit poll workers. They also launched a poll worker recruitment portal that helped streamline the process to send poll worker applications directly to the county clerks.

Tinius says they are always in need of volunteers for future elections.

“Having younger people, or maybe someone who’s never worked as an election officer before, but feels like it might be something they want to try. We encourage everybody to volunteer,” said Tinius.

According to Tinius, election officers receive a $40 stipend for attending the first training. And then are paid $299 after working Election Day from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m.

“We’re responsible for someone’s biggest civil liberty, and that is the right to vote. So, we do take it very seriously,” said Tinius.

The Jefferson County clerk’s office is anticipating 60% to 70% voter turnout for Election Day.

Boller says she can not wait to see folks voting and letting their voice be heard.

“I would love to see a lot of first-time voters, a lot of people who haven’t come out in years to come out. I just want to see a big turnout. And I think with a big turnout will have a positive outcome,” said Boller.

Kentucky approximately has 3,700 precincts across the state. Thursday through Saturday begins the in-person, no-excuse voting period across Kentucky and Election Day is Nov. 5.

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