POLLWORKER SHORTAGE HAMPERS COUNTY CLERK: Burks asks for election help

"The biggest recurring complaint"

COLUMBIA, Mo 9/28/18 (PSA) -- Boone County Clerk Taylor Burks is seeking poll workers to staff the upcoming November elections. 

"The biggest recurring complaint is the shortage of poll workers we are seeing,” said Burks. “It's up to everyday citizens to give us a day to help protect the election process.”

Burks discovered the poll worker shortage after an internal election judge survey following the August primary election.

Slightly over eighty four percent of Boone County election judges rated overall polling operations as “Good” or “Excellent,” while less than four percent rated it “Fair” or “Poor.”

 

“We use this survey to make changes and improvements after each election," Burks explained.  “I pay particular attention to the eight poll workers who said we did Fair or Poor, even as one hundred and seventy one poll workers rated us Good or Excellent."  

Election judges cited equipment problems; training in specific areas; polling place changes; and higher turnout preparation as areas that need improvement. The pollworker shortage became obvious as some polling places saw significantly higher turnout with longer-than-normal wait times.  

“These are specific issues we want to make better," he said.

 

Burks designed the post-election election judge survey after the November 2017 special election to grade different performance areas. 

Poll worker training satisfaction has increased, from 84% to 86% of election judges surveyed, between November 2017 and August 2018.  Overall satisfaction with election operations has fallen, from 92.5% to 84.2%.  The pollworker shortage may be partly to blame. 

 

To volunteer as a pollworker, contact the Boone County Clerk’s office at 573-886-4295, or   pollworkers @boonecountymo.org.