County poll workers receive pay raise

Feb. 9—In a bid to attract more and younger election poll workers, Howard County is increasing what it pays such workers.

Starting this primary election, those working on Election Day will see nearly a $5 per hour pay increase from $8.33 per hour to $12.92 per hour. Election judges and poll inspectors will also see a pay increase, from $10.42 per hour to $16.67 per hour and $11.67 per hour to $18.75 per hour, respectively.

Total pay for working Election Day, assuming a 12-hour day, for an election worker would increase from $100 to $155, for an election judge from $125 to $200 and for a poll inspector from $140 to $225.

Pay for poll workers on early voting days will also increase but not as much.

Those working on early voting days will see a pay increase from $6 per hour to $8.33 per hour, election judges from $8 per hour to $10.42 per hour and poll inspectors from $10 per hour to $11.67 per hour.

The allocation of money to pay for the increases was approved late last year by the Howard County Council to be included in the county's 2024 budget. The pay increases themselves were approved by the Howard County Board of Commissioners on Monday.

Howard County Clerk Debbie Stewart said she hopes the increase in pay will attract younger election workers as the county's poll workers are almost exclusively older.

One has to be at least 18 years old and registered to vote to be a poll worker in Indiana, though those 16 or 17 years old can work on Election Day in a limited fashion through the state's Hoosier Hall Pass program.

Stewart also hopes the increase in pay will attract more poll workers as recruiting sufficient number of workers is challenging for most elections.

Tyler Juranovich can be reached at 765-454-8577, by email at tyler.juranovich@kokomotribune.com or on Twitter at @tylerjuranovich.