The Berrien County Clerk’s office is looking for new election workers as we head toward August and November.
Berrien County Clerk Stacy Loar-Porter tells us the workers are vital to our elections, helping ensure polling places are run smoothly and every ballot is counted. Does the county have enough as we near the next elections?
“We’re okay, but we always like to have more than we need,” Loar-Porter said. “Things happen between now and August and November. You know, people get sick or they move or they intend to help and can’t get off work. So we always like to have more than enough and we always like having new fresh faces.”
Loar-Porter says anyone who wants to help their community makes a good fit for the job. But availability is also a factor.
“Even if you work, say, during the day normally, we have options for different kinds of workers that we need. Maybe you don’t have to take a day off of work. If you don’t happen to work, we would love to have you. Retirees, it’s a great way to get a little extra shopping money.”
And Loar-Porter says students can make great election workers, especially if their civics class is encouraging it. She says the various municipal clerk’s offices around the county are well connected, so there are multiple ways someone could sign up to be an election worker.
“If you know a specific jurisdiction you want to work in, you can always go straight to that jurisdiction because in Michigan, you can work in any jurisdiction in the whole state of Michigan if you want, if you’re registered in Michigan. If there’s a specific one here locally, you can go straight to that jurisdiction or you can come to us. We have a survey that we do when we ask you, what are you looking for? Are you looking to work on election day at a local precinct? Are you looking to volunteer for early voting?”
Election worker training takes two to two-and-a-half hours and is all provided by the county. Those who choose to be election workers can find themselves doing a wide variety of things on Election Day, so Loar-Porter says opportunities are wide open.
“A typical election worker on Election Day — you’re going to show up at the precinct where the local clerk has you come, which is generally between between 5:30, 6:30 in the morning. You’re going to work all day, and you do get a lunch. Polls close at 8, and there’s generally about an hour to two hours worth of closing duties that need to be done to wrap everything up. If you work in early voting, the hours are a little bit shorter because we only do eight hours a day, but we do it for nine days. But you don’t have to work every day of the nine days.”
Loar-Porter says there are also positions on the receiving board, which closes out the books at the end of Election Day. That job can go late.
Right now, the county clerk’s office is mostly looking for people to help with the August and November elections as Loar-Porter says it’s already prepared for May. Anyone interested in serving can contact the clerk. Loar-Porter is welcoming anyone who wants to help.
“Come be part of the process. We need everybody to be a part of this democracy.”
