Ohio launches poll worker tracker for Aug. 8 special election
The Ohio Secretary of State’s Office announced Tuesday that more than 28,000 Ohioans have signed up to be poll workers for the August 8 special election, surpassing the minimum number of 27,587 poll workers needed statewide for this election.
According to an official tracker managed by the Office, poll worker recruitment stands at 89 percent of the statewide goal, with 32 counties at full recruitment and another 18 counties reaching their minimum recruitment level.
The 32 counties at full recruitment are as follows: Adams, Allen, Ashland, Ashtabula, Belmont, Brown, Cuyahoga, Darke, Fairfield, Gallia, Geauga, Hardin, Henry, Hocking, Holmes, Lawrence, Logan, Medina, Mercer, Morgan, Morrow, Perry, Pickaway, Portage, Preble, Putnam, Richland, Ross, Tuscarawas, Union, Vinton and Wyandot.
“Our boards of elections have remarkable networks of civic-minded patriots prepared to be a part of our democratic process and help their fellow Ohioans vote,” said Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose. “We’re well underway to being fully prepared for Election Day. The men and women who will assist you at your polling location are your friends and neighbors, and we should all take a moment to thank them for their hard work and significant role in making Ohio elections secure and accurate.”
To ensure an adequate number of poll workers are trained and available in case of unforeseen challenges, Secretary LaRose set a goal of 31,811 poll workers statewide or 115 percent of the minimum needed to administer the upcoming election.
Ohioans able to serve as a poll worker may sign up at VoteOhio.gov/DefendDemocracy. Poll workers are financially compensated for their time on Election Day. The county breakdown can be seen on Ohio’s Poll Worker Tracker at https://pollworkertracker.ohiosos.gov.
The tracker, started in 2020 by Secretary LaRose, gives Ohioans, counties, and partner organizations clear goals and recruitment updates in preparation for Election Day. To continue providing voters with unprecedented levels of transparency, Secretary LaRose will regularly provide weekly poll worker updates as reported by the 88 county boards of elections. Counties may also recruit 17-year-olds to serve as poll workers in the Aug. 8 special election. Visit https://www.ohiosos.gov/media-center/press-releases/2022/2022-06-24/ for further guidance.
Reminder: Ohio voters statewide will only be voting on State Issue 1 on Aug. 8, which elevates the standards to qualify for and pass amendments to Ohio’s constitution. A sample of the ballot language on State Issue 1 can be found at https://www.ohiosos.gov/globalassets/media-center/week-in-review/2023-0….
Secretary LaRose encourages voters to have a plan before going out to vote, which includes confirming your polling location. Before casting a ballot in person, Ohioans can confirm their polling location at https://www.ohiosos.gov/elections/voters/toolkit/polling-location/.
Poll Worker Recruitment by the Numbers:
• Goal for Committed and Trained Poll Workers: 31,811
• Minimum Poll Workers Required: 27,587
• Current Number of Committed Poll Workers: 28,182
• Ohio counties are 89 percent of the way to reaching our statewide goal.
• Approximately 15,700 poll workers have completed training or are not required to attend training for this election.