Pa. is the last state to elect poll workers. Local officials say they're short 1000s of candidates.
This article is made possible through Spotlight PA's collaboration with Votebeat, a nonpartisan news organization covering local election administration and voting. Sign up for Votebeat's free newsletters here.
Pennsylvania voters went to the polls last week to help carry on a centuries-old practice that no other state does: elections to choose their election workers.
'It was a great idea in the 1800s that they never got rid of,' said Thad Hall, Mercer County's election director, who just oversaw a primary to select the Democratic and Republican candidates for more than 150 poll worker positions.
Counties are still finalizing the results from the May 20 election. The counting includes the slow process of tabulating write-in votes, as many races don't have candidates listed on the ballot. In Mercer County, roughly 50% of the positions did not have a nominated candidate, Hall said, and he suspects 'a lot' of his open positions won't have a candidate on the ballot in November, either.
There are over 9,000 voting precincts in the state, and each has three positions that need to be elected: a judge of election, and a majority and minority inspector. That means every four years, the state needs to elect more than 27,000 workers. Rarely are there enough candidates to compete in all those races.
Hall said people have been known to write in their friends or family members as a joke, and those people end up winning — sometimes with just a single vote.
'You email people and they're like, 'Are you serious? Are you kidding?' And then they've got to decide if they want to do it,' he said. 'People think you're pulling their leg, because someone was pulling their leg in the first place.'
Historians say Pennsylvania has been electing poll workers since 1799. According to data from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, it's the only state in the country that directly elects the poll workers who run voting precincts. Most states choose them through appointment.
And in Pennsylvania, if no candidate is elected in November, or the elected candidate resigns, county election directors are permitted to appoint someone to the position.
Some New England states elect town officials who oversee voting locations as part of their job, but they don't necessarily elect workers for every precinct, instead hiring or appointing additional people. Most states have adopted an appointment system.
The last state to do away with the practice of electing election workers was Rhode Island, in 2009.
Former Rhode Island state Rep. Michael Marcello, a Democrat, wrote the bill that ended those elections. He said at the time that the change would prevent these positions from being politicized. But co-sponsor Scott Pollard, also a Democrat, recalled that there was also a more practical reason:
'We were having tremendous difficulty actually getting people to put their name on a ballot to run.'
One deterrent, Pollard said, was that would-be poll workers in Rhode Island were required to file the financial forms that political candidates often have to submit to disclose any potential financial conflicts of interest.
'People are willing to do community service,' he said, 'but you can't make them jump through too many hoops to do it.'
In Pennsylvania, poll worker candidates don't have to file statements of financial interest, but there are other hoops they have to jump through.
As in Rhode Island, poll workers here run as partisans in the primary. To get on the primary ballot, they have to file nomination petitions, signed by enough local voters. A candidate for election judge, who oversees the voting precinct, must obtain signatures from 10 qualified voters. A candidate for inspector, who signs in voters and checks their registrations among other tasks, must get five signatures to qualify.
Jay Schneider, a Chester County resident who served as an appointed judge in his precinct for the 2024 election, told Votebeat and Spotlight PA in March that these hurdles were part of the reason he chose not to run for the position this year.
But not getting on the primary ballot isn't necessarily a barrier, given the lack of demand for the job.
Hall, from Mercer County, said the kind of all-appointment system that most states use would help election directors. It would make it easier to move workers around if there are personality conflicts, and to remove problematic workers if needed. Additionally, it would save them the logistical burden of having hundreds of extra positions on their ballots.
Jeff Greenburg, a former election director who now works for the good-government group Committee of Seventy, said that switching to an all-appointment system may solve some of the administrative problems with electing poll workers, but he wants to see more solid evidence that the switch would fix the bigger issue of poll worker shortages.
Pennsylvania election officials, like many elsewhere, have struggled to keep their precincts fully staffed in recent years.
'As one person said, 'We just want someone who's breathing,'' said Devin Rhoads, Snyder County's election director.
Rhoads argues that electing poll workers has benefits, too, such as imbuing the positions with an added sense of responsibility.
'If a person is elected, it carries more weight,' Rhoads said, adding that those workers will have the mindset of, 'Well, l signed up for this.'
'If you're appointed, maybe it kind of gives you a little bit of wiggle room, like, 'Well, I was just appointed, I can get out of it,'' he said.
The catch in this logic is that people actually have to be willing to run for the poll worker positions. And in many places, they aren't.
Rhoads estimates that roughly two-thirds of Snyder County's election worker positions won't have candidates on the ballot in the fall municipal election, meaning some workers will need to be appointed.
In Allegheny County, home to Pittsburgh, officials say 3,500 of the roughly 4,000 elected poll worker positions on the November ballot will lack a candidate.
'People don't want to run for these positions,' said Abigail Gardner, a county spokesperson.
Formally switching from an elected to an appointed poll worker system would require state legislation. Short of that, there are other things the state could do to help recruit poll workers.
First, Greenburg said, counties should increase pay. The state's Election Code currently sets minimum pay at $75 for the day. But a poll worker's day is usually at least 13 hours, which works out to an hourly rate that's less than minimum wage.
A bill that recently passed the state House would increase that minimum to $175, but many counties are already moving beyond that. Philadelphia offered $295 for workers in the May 20 primary.
Greenberg also thinks the process for getting on the ballot should be simplified.
Instead of collecting signatures on a nominating petition, he said, it could be enough for a candidate to sign an affidavit affirming that they are qualified to run for the office.
Carter Walker is a reporter for Votebeat in partnership with Spotlight PA. Contact Carter at cwalker@votebeat.org.
If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org/donate. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Americans react to US strikes on Iran with worry as well as support for Israel
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — One of Layton Tallwhiteman's earliest memories was watching the news at his uncle's house in Montana in 2003 and seeing the U.S. bomb Baghdad to launch the war in Iraq. Recollections of that war — waged in part to find weapons of mass destruction that did not exist – flooded back for Tallwhiteman after President Donald Trump ordered weekend bombing strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities amid its escalating conflict with Israel. The administration has indicated it wants to avoid getting pulled into all-out war. Tallwhiteman, who grew up on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation southeast of Billings, is skeptical. 'Their idea is to eliminate the threat. Like Bush said in Iraq, 'We're going to eliminate the threat. We're going to find weapons of mass destruction and eliminate them.' Did that work the way he planned? No, obviously it didn't,' said Tallwhiteman. The 30-year-old driver for a food distribution company said he usually votes Libertarian, but backed Democrat Kamala Harris over Trump last year. Across the U.S. on Sunday, Americans expressed a mixture of support, apprehension and confoundment at the bombings, which officials said caused severe damage to Iran's nuclear sites. Administration officials said the strikes left room for Iran to return to negotiations over its nuclear program. Yet if the conflict spirals, it could test Trump's foreign diplomacy skills and also his support at home. 'It had to be done' B-2 bombers that participated in the weekend strikes returned home to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri on Sunday. Nearby, retired Air Force veteran Ken Slabaugh said he was '100% supportive' of Trump's decision and the military personnel who carried it out. Slabaugh said Iran has showed resistance to negotiations over its nuclear program for decades, a problem that he said Trump inherited. Iran can't be trusted, Slabaugh said, nor allowed to acquire nuclear weapons. 'It simply had to be done,' he said of the strikes, adding that he's now concerned for members of the military around the world. 'I'm proud of the guys and the gals that are doing the work out there. Nobody in the world does this like we do, and we have the freedom and liberty we enjoy because of that,' Slabaugh said. In Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Andrew Williams, 18, said he was surprised by the timing of the attack given that many Republicans had expressed opposition to U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran war. Still, he thought it was necessary if Iran was building nuclear weapons. 'If we are able to get rid of that, that is something we should do,' Williams said. Robert Wallette of Billings said Trump had 'good reason' to conduct the bombing as a demonstration of American support for Israel. 'Iran's evil, evil people. They hate Americans,' he said. Concern about conflict spinning out of control Wallette, 69, a retired contract specialist at the federal Indian Health Service, said he hated Trump when the Republican was first elected because of his arrogant style. His perspective started to shift after Trump moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In 2024, Wallette voted for Trump based on his promises to curb illegal immigration, putting him among the 60% of voters backing Trump last year in Yellowstone County, which includes Billings. Notwithstanding his support, Wallette was unsure if Trump can avoid the U.S. getting drawn into a deeper conflict with Iran. 'Other countries are getting involved and this may be out of his control,' he said. Kent Berame, 32, of Davie, Florida, said it was a little outrageous for Trump to go rogue and approve the attack without explicit support from Congress. He said he doesn't agree with the United States supporting Israel's recent attacks on Iran. 'There's concern that we're putting troops in danger,' said Berame, a Democrat who owns his own marketing company. 'And obviously there's a retaliatory response toward all of our bases over there.' Berame said it's frustrating that the U.S. might be increasing hostilities with Iran just a few years after finally ending the war in Afghanistan. 'I don't want to see any U.S. soldiers in harm's way or in danger,' he said. Back in Billings, Trump voter Patty Ellman said she worries about the U.S. getting sucked into another extended conflict. 'We have enough going on in America to get into other countries' wars. Let's just take care of us right now,' she said. Ellman, a 61-year-old who stepped in as caregiver for her ex-husband after he suffered a stroke, said the U.S. should retaliate if attacked, but otherwise stay out of Iran's conflict with other countries. 'That's their business,' she said. 'We need to worry about Americans and how we're going to survive and are we going to have Social Security.' With contributions from David Fischer in Davie, Florida; Nicholas Ingram in Knob Noster, Missouri; and Mingson Lau in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Could there be a military draft? Fears rise after US strike on Iran
Heightened tensions following the United States' June 21 attack on Iranian nuclear facilities has brought the specter of a military draft to the forefront of the minds of many. The U.S. struck three nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan June 21 in what has been dubbed "Operation Midnight Hammer." In a June 22 Truth Social post, President Donald Trump said he was open to a regime change in the country, hours after Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. did not want a regime change. There are currently no bills before Congress to institute a draft, however the Washington Post reported last year that influential former administration officials as well as some GOP lawmakers have publicly suggested a "national service mandate." Here's what you need to know about a possible military draft. Fallout of US attack on Iran: US warns of 'heightened threat environment' after strikes on Iran nukes When was the last time the draft was used? The last draft call occurred in 1972, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine, and the draft was announced to be no longer in use by then Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird on Jan. 27, 1973. The final person inducted into the U.S. military – Dwight Elliott Stone, a 24-year-old apprentice plumber from Sacramento, California, – entered the Army on June 30, 1973, according to the magazine. Who would be in charge of reinstating the draft? Legislation would need to be passed through Congress amending the Military Selective Service Act in order to reinstate a draft, according to the Selective Service Agency. In 2015, then New York Democratic Representative Charles Rangel introduced a bill to re-instate a draft alongside a "War Tax" bill to point out the inequity of war as then President Barack Obama attempted to galvanize support for an Authorization for Use of Military Force against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. "When I served, the entire nation shared the sacrifices through the draft and increased taxes. But today, only a fraction of America shoulders the burden. If war is truly necessary, we must all come together to support and defend our nation," Rangle, who served in the Korean War, said in a statement at the time, according to The Hill. Who would be eligible for a draft? Currently, all men between 18 to 25 are required to register with the Selective Service System. The Selective Service Agency states that, should a draft be reinstated, the first to receive induction orders would be those whose turn 20 years old during the year of the lottery. Additional drafts would follow for those turning 21 through 25, then 19 and 18 would occur if additional soldiers were required. Who would be ineligible for the draft? All of those who have registered with the Selective Service are presumed to be eligible to be drafted. The only exemptions from Selective Service registration are if a man: A draftee could request to be reclassified, including as a conscientious objector, after he is drafted but before the day he is due to report. High school and college students can ask for service to be postponed while draftees can request hardship deferments. Ministers, certain elected officials and some dual nationals would be exempt from the draft.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
How Trump changed the future, kill the suicide bill and other commentary
From the right: Don Just Changed the Future 'In the case of the Middle East what Trump said about himself is true,' marvels Commentary's John Podhoretz. 'He said he doesn't start wars. Trump said he ends wars' — and Saturday night 'was Trump ending this evil war of Iran's, either right now or after more pain causes the mullahs to cry uncle. For Israel didn't start this war either. It was launched, by Iran and its catamites, on Oct. 7.' The strike's 'impact is potentially so enormous, and so world-historic, we needn't rush into interpreting its larger meaning.' But: 'Trump has said since the assassination attempt in Butler, Pa., that he believes God spared him for a reason. And now, so do I.' Conservative: Kill the Suicide Bill Gov. Hochul should veto 'The Medical Aid in Dying Act, which passed the State Assembly in April,' and 'would allow people diagnosed with terminal illnesses to request a prescription for lethal drugs,' urges City Journal's John Hirschauer. Besides moving to 'effectively recognize suicide as a human right,' 'the bill has relatively few safeguards,' as 'it does not require that the person requesting the drugs be psychiatrically evaluated.' 'And the bill's drafters declined to include a residency requirement,' meaning people from across the country could come to New York and euthanize themselves. 'Human life is marked by terrible suffering.' 'But once the state decides that anyone, on account of illness, has the 'right' to kill himself, it has decided that suffering can render life worthless.' Liberal: UFT Winning Mayoral Primary New York schools are 'worse today' despite 'an incredible $36,000 spent per pupil — about twice the national average — with National Assessment of Educational Progress scores of 28% proficient in reading and a few points more in math,' grumbles Joe Klein at Substack. One problem: Teachers, like other city workers, are 'unable to be fired.' Although education 'is the absolute key to future success for New York,' it 'hasn't been much discussed in the Democratic mayoral primary.' In a Manhattan Institute report, all of the candidates 'received D's and F's, except one' — Whitney Tilson, 'an obscure Wall Street moderate' despised by the teachers union. The UFT hasn't endorsed any candidate, likely due to its 'utter confidence that the winner will abide by its wishes.' From the right: LA Needed Trump's Help 'Gov. Gavin Newsom told Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that local law enforcement officers were 'sufficient to maintain order' ' in Los Angeles, yet LAPD officers tell Heather Mac Donald at The Wall Street Journal, 'We don't have s— under control.' She cites numerous instances of violence that, by 'sheer luck,' weren't life-threatening. 'Should Trump have waited to see if the locals' would eventually control the situation? The answer's clear: 'Police Chief Jim McDonnell put the LAPD on tactical alert' and canceled all time off. Yet days later, Mayor Karen Bass nonetheless had to order a curfew. 'Still the disorder continued.' Fact is, 'There is more danger from tolerating' lawlessness than from responding to it 'with all legal means.' Libertarian: Cut the F-35 'As the U.S. grapples with ballooning federal budgets and increasingly necessary spending cuts, the military remains ripe for austerity,' blares Joe Lancaster at Reason. The F-35 jet is a perfect example of a 'program that deserves to be scrapped.' Since its inception after 9/11, 'the jet has proven itself not ready from prime time, both more expensive and less functional than promised.' Too bad 'the House Appropriations Committee's proposed Defense Appropriations Bill for 2026 would spend $8.5 billion on F-35s,' and 'President Donald Trump has called the F-35 'the greatest fighter jet in the world.'' 'The F-35 means to replace previous-generation aircraft like the F-16, but instead, the obsolete models are running circles around their intended replacement.' Every new thing we hear about the F-35, 'proves that it's long past time to kill the program.' — Compiled by The Post Editorial Board
