Q&A
BOE's commitment to poll worker recruitment and outreach efforts
2:10:08
·
124 sec
Council Member Restler inquires about the Board of Elections' commitment to sustaining their independent poll worker recruitment efforts. Michael Ryan confirms the BOE's dedication to ensuring sufficient staffing for elections through their own outreach initiatives.
- Ryan notes a decrease in poll workers from county organizations over the years
- The BOE analyzes staffing needs and adjusts recruitment efforts based on election cycles
- Ryan commits to maintaining fully staffed poll sites with properly trained individuals
Lincoln Restler
2:10:08
So I am I wanna shift to poll workers.
2:10:15
In our conversations, you've informed us that and and previously testified, in in our preliminary budget hearing last year that increasingly poll workers are coming through BOE recruitment efforts.
UNKNOWN
2:10:29
Mhmm.
Michael Ryan
2:10:30
Or they're coming through a direct application via our website.
2:10:36
You can you can apply to be a poll worker.
Lincoln Restler
2:10:38
But I'll give you credit as that being BOE recruitment efforts.
Michael Ryan
2:10:41
Right.
Lincoln Restler
2:10:43
I think that's important.
2:10:47
I well, is the BOE committed to sustaining the outreach efforts that you've recently undertaken to ensure that, you are independently bringing poll workers in as much as is needed?
Michael Ryan
2:11:02
So as we have, discussed informally, over the course of time since I've been the executive director, year after year after year, the number of poll workers that we get from the county organizations has been decreasing.
2:11:19
So by necessity, we must commit to our efforts so that we have a sufficient pool of poll workers, to conduct elections.
2:11:30
So, yes, we we analyze this information all the time.
2:11:37
Increased efforts may differ depending on an election cycle.
2:11:41
Like, for example, we don't need as many poll workers, for a primary election.
2:11:47
We might not need as many poll workers, say in 2027 when there's no big talk at the top of the ticket.
2:11:54
No president, no, no mayor, no, no governor.
2:11:58
You'll have sufficiently less numbers of poll workers required because there'll be less poll sites open.
2:12:04
But, yes, we will always commit to making sure that our poll sites are sufficiently and fully staffed with properly trained individuals.
