Medina County Board of Elections will reach out at schools, festivals to recruit poll workers

MEDINA — The Medina County Board of Elections brainstormed initiatives to encourage more people to become precinct election officials for the Nov. 5 election during its meeting Tuesday. Chairwoman Pam Miller said Medina County will need more people working the polls for the upcoming election, but many have stated they do not want to because it is a presidential election. The Board of Elections has not officially said how many poll workers will be needed this fall. Director Nicole Mickley said Youth at the Booth is a way to reach potential poll workers. It is a program in Ohio that allows 17-year-old high school seniors to serve as precinct election officials. The board had a discussion with the Cloverleaf Schools administration regarding visiting the district at the beginning of the school year, she said. It would be like a career day in which the board educates students on how to be a poll worker as well as job opportunities related to elections. "(Youth at the Booth) is actually a program that you have to set up with the school, so we are hoping to get more of those started," Mickley said. "Brunswick is interested in that." To inform more schools of the program, the board could reach out to the Medina County Educational Service Center as well as nonpublic schools like Medina Christian Academy, Miller said. The board is also interested in attending festivals in the county this summer, Mickley said. Both political parties have a booth at the Medina County Fair, and the board could speak with the parties ahead of time about doing outreach at the fair. Local organizations like the Lions Club or Rotary Club may be interested in having their members work the polls as a form of community service as well, Miller said. On May 28, the Medina County commissioners passed a resolution which allows county employees to receive their regular pay rate while working as a precinct election official for the November election. "We'll need to staff all of our polling locations to full capacity as well as have a full roster of trained poll workers ready to go on Election Day to fill in for any call-offs or no-shows that day," Mickley said to the commissioners. The requirements and application to become a precinct election official in Medina County are available at tinyurl.com/4w5abaxp. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.