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"We the people..." includes you and me. I am the people and today's the day! I've never worked the polls, but I'd like to do my part to ensure the blessings of liberty for us all. It may seem a bit intimidating, but we need lots of people to help us vote, so I've been looking into it and here's what I've found out:
You can serve as a poll worker in Ohio if you:
-Are a U.S. citizen
-Are at least 18 years of age and registered to vote, or 17 years old and in high school
-Are a resident of the county in which you plan to serve
-Are not running as a candidate for the election in which you are working
-Have not been convicted of a felony
You actually get paid to be a poll worker! You are not only serving a vital role, but you get compensated for doing your civic duty here in Washington County, Ohio:
-$20 for the mandatory 2 hour in-person training
-$20 for the online training (not mandatory, but confidence boosting)
-$113 for voting day
-$123 for leaders
-$135 for managers
Responsibilities:
-Sign up now online at Ohio Secretary of State.gov/BeAPollWorker
-If you're at least 17 and want to be a Youth at the Booth (so exciting) check in with your government, civics or history teacher and someone from the board of elections will be in touch with your teacher. You can't sign up just yet, but boy are you needed and appreciated!
-Sign up for one of the mandatory in person training sessions in October (You'll be notified of your choices of days, dates and times after you sign up.)
-Take the mandatory training. Take both. Why not? $20 + $20 = $40
-Be at your designated precinct at 5:30 a.m. until approximately 8:30 p.m. (It's only one day. You can do it!)
Am I on my own? What if I forget something? No worries:
-You've been trained well and given a Quick Reference Guide
-There are experienced and capable leaders on hand to save the day!
-It's not rocket science. It's democracy and you and I are the people, so let's sign up!
You can sign up online at voteohio.gov or call the Washington County Board of Elections at (740) 374-6828. Signing up does not make you obligated to be a poll worker. It simply puts you on a list to be contacted by your county board of elections.
As you prepare to vote Nov. 3, educate yourself about the candidates by attending,
MEET THE CANDIDATES Wednesday, Sept. 30, Marietta High School Auditorium at 6:30. Free, open to the public and plenty of parking.
Annette Scohy is a member of Living Democracy: Engaging Citizens, a local citizen group. Our mission is to inform and educate the Mid-Ohio Valley about how government works on the local, state and federal levels and how citizens can be involved to make our democracy work. oin us the third Monday of each month. livingdemocracymov@gmail.com and facebook/livingdemocracy and Youtube channel Living Democracy