San Luis Obispo County looking for poll workers for upcoming Presidential Primary Election

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The San Luis Obispo County Elections office is seeking poll workers to help assist with the upcoming Presidential Primary Election on March 5, 2024.

With the election set to take place in just a matter of weeks, the elections office is putting out a final call to find workers for an election that is expected to have a heavy turnout of voters.

"We are definitely getting closer to the election," said San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder Elaina Cano. "We're about 48 days before the election. I'm wrapping up our final touches on placing all of our poll workers at each one of our polling places. This year we have 70 different polling places, and so we have to staff enough poll workers at each one of those locations for each one of their precincts. We just have a few spots left to actually fill, but certainly we still have a few spots open and we would love to have more people on the list."

Responsibilities include precinct set-up prior to the polls opening, assisting voters when they sign in, issuing ballots and accepting vote-by-mail ballots cast in person, and packing up and accounting for ballots and supplies when the precinct closes at 8:00 p.m.

"The importance of poll workers, it's hard to even put into words," said Cano. "We work so hard for so many months in preparation for an election and we train our poll workers as best that we can, and then we hand it over on Election Day to our poll workers who are so passionate about doing their civic duty for ensuring that democracy is safe and being fair to everyone, and so the value putting on our poll workers that they just give up their time to help us out on Election Day is just invaluable."

Poll workers will be paid for their time, earning $48.50 for a half day, or $97 for a full day, plus a $20 bonus for attending training offered in advance of Election Day.

Workers who serve as inspectors will receive between $117 and $142, depending on their assignment, plus $20 for attending training.

"I think the reason that one might get involved is to be part of the process, to actually witness how things work during election season, during Election Day, see your friends and neighbors help ensure a positive experience for the voters, help to safely secure the ballots until they can be returned on election night to the county elections office and to bear witness to the integrity of the election process," said longtime poll worker Kathy Mastako. "I really hope that people will consider stepping up and being part of the process on Election Day, not only as a voter, but as a precinct worker on a precinct board. It is a fun, long, tiring, but it is a fun day and I hope people will give it some thought because I know the elections office really needs additional workers."

Anyone interested in working as a poll worker for the March 5 Presidential Primary Election can find more information at www.slovote.com/pollworkers and can contact the program coordinator at precinctworker@co.slo.ca.us or 805-781-4989.

High school students are eligible if they are at least 16 years old, attend a public or private school, and have a minimum 2.5 GPA.