Saline County seeing shortage of poll workers for next year’s election

Rylie Birdwell
·2 min read
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SALINE COUNTY, Ark. – Saline County is already preparing for next year’s elections while dealing with a shortage of poll workers.

County leaders talked about the high voter turnout they’ve seen in years past, and they anticipate seeing even more since next year is a presidential election.

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They have more than 20 spots that are still vacant for poll workers.

“We can have good candidates, we can have great systems, but if you don’t have election workers the whole thing falls apart,” Saline County communications director Trevor Villines said.

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This year Saline County seeing a shortage of poll workers.

“Right now, we need about an additional 20 poll workers with the size of the election we have we want to make sure we have every place staffed,” Saline County Clerk Doug Curtis said.

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As new tablets are brought in to help elevate the election process, Curtis said they don’t have many volunteers to be able to work them.

“Volunteerism over the past year has really gone down and there is a lot of people that, of course, age has got them, they have been poll workers a long time and they are getting out of it and younger people are not as keen to volunteer as the older people,” he said.

Curtis said they have been advertising the spots online, but they can’t go without the people.

“If y’all don’t have the volunteers, if you don’t have the workers, that’s going to add to the long wait times, meaning workers will have to do some overtime too right,” Rylie Birdwell with KARK 4 News asked Curtis.

“Yes, it will, but we will have enough people,” Curtis replied.

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Those who wish to help volunteer must be a registered voter in Saline County. More information can be found by calling 501-303-5630 to speak with the Saline County Election Coordinator.

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