States Gird Their Loins for New Crowds and New Technology in November

Published: July 21, 2008, 8:45 pm

Sorry for the gap — health concerns kept me away from the keyboard. Once more unto the breach, dear friends! The New York Times alerts us that several states will be using new technology for the November ‘08 elections. A few of those states already know they’ll be short on poll workers — of any kind, not just workers with training. In other words, it’s a potential recipe for chaos. The United States Election Assistance Commission estimates that for the November election, which will bring out a wave of new voters, at least two million poll workers should be ready at the tables. Several states have started using high-school students — this isn’t a bad thing, mind you. I signed up as a poll worker for the February primaries, and my fellow poll peon was a calm, self-possessed high-school student who appeared to be in her early 20s. She said she got extra credit for staffing the poll table, and why shouldn’t she. She

[ Full article ]

Blog link

Comments