MADISON, Wis.— Precincts all over Wisconsin desperately need poll workers for the November 3 presidential election. 

A smooth election in Wisconsin takes at least 30,000 poll workers. In a normal year, many of them are seniors. This time around though, seniors are at higher risk of coronavirus complications, so many of them have had to drop out. 

Wisconsin Elections Commission Administrator Meagan Wolfe said while areas like Milwaukee and Madison have had lots of volunteers, rural areas are in more trouble. 

Wolfe said the state needs even more poll workers in a pandemic. Clerks need to have a big “reserve” of poll workers, expecting that some people may not show up or have to drop out due to illness or risk of illness. 

Plus, you need extra hands to process all those absentee ballots. An absentee ballot is taken to the voter’s normal polling place, and essentially a poll worker stands in for the voter and goes through the voting process that way. Just opening all the envelopes adds another layer of manual labor. 

“I really believe in us as Wisconsinites, and that we can do this that we're going to have enough poll workers,” Wolfe said. “We need more poll workers than ever this year.”

If you’d like to be a poll worker, Wolfe recommended calling your local clerk and asking if they need more help. She also said to try the small towns in your county. They’re likely the ones short on poll workers. 

Right now, the Wisconsin Elections Commission is collecting information from clerks, to create a list of which areas need the most poll workers. That information is expected to be released next week, so potential poll workers know where to help. 

To learn more about being a poll worker, click here.