Commissioner Wants Citizens, Businesses & Organizations To ‘Donate a Day to Democracy’

In August, the Bucks County Commissioners announced a need to find and engage the citizenry in trying to recruit poll workers for the county election process.

According to board of election records, the county was down approximately 200 workers for the May primaries.

Commissioner Diane Marseglia  formed an advisory group to come up with ideas and a plan of action to be put in place to address difficulties facing the county getting citizens to work the polls.

One of the ideas put into action was to reach out to local business’ and nonprofits and alike for recruitment purposes.

A letter from the county to local organizations and businesses asked them to “Donate a Day to Democracy,” where “employers offer employees the day off, with pay, so they can work the polls.”

Marseglia, the newly appointed chairwoman of Bucks County’s Board of Elections, said one of the many challenges the county comes across is the potential pool from which poll workers come from.

“Twenty percent of the population votes,” she said. “With municipal elections, that number dwindles, which decreases the pool further. And you have to  account for those that have a careers and full-time jobs who can’t work cause they have a primary responsibility to those whom employ them. And what we’re left with are seniors essentially running the polls – and I’m not saying that’s bad thing, but we do  need more people to come out and help,” she said.

In Bucks County, pay for judge of elections is $120 for the day and $95  for majority and minority party inspectors of elections, clerks and machine inspectors, Deena Deene, Director of the board of elections, told LevittownNow in June.

With 306 voter districts in Bucks, the need is compelling, she said.

Workers typically serve a 16-hour day, beginning at 6 a.m. and ending around 10 p.m.

“You would think in tough economic times we would be able to get more citizens,” Marseglia said, “but that’s not the case.”

Citizens interested  in becoming  poll workers are  asked to contact the elections board at 215-348-6887 or email elections@co.bucks.pa.us. Poll worker applications are also posted on board of elections page at www.buckscounty.org.