BY CARRIE HODOUSEK
CHARLESTON — Secretary of State Mac Warner is encouraging West Virginia veterans to volunteer at the polls during the 2024 election.
Warner, a veteran of the U.S. Army himself, said on Wednesday’s MetroNews “Talkline” it’s important to get veterans involved in the election process.
“We saw the divisiveness in the country over the 2020 election. Let’s pull it together. We pull it together by standing in the gaps. Step up and step forward. It’s easy to do,” Warner said.
As part of “Operation Elective Service,” veterans can sign up with their county clerk to become poll workers for the primary election in May and/or the general election in November.
“We’re playing off the World War II poster of Uncle Sam saying, ‘I want you’ to serve. We want people to serve as poll workers,” Warner said. “There’s no better way to improve confidence in the elections than to be part of the process, so that’s what this program is about.”
There are 1,680 voting precincts in West Virginia that each require at least five poll workers. That means more than 8,400 poll workers are required in a statewide election, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.
Warner said the state saw a decline in poll workers in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic. He said next year is an opportunity to change that.
“We saw in 2020 COVID caused a number of people, who have worked the polls for decades, to step aside for health reasons so that’s why it’s important to have extras standing by who have been trained and ready to go,” he said.
To serve as a poll worker in West Virginia, you must be registered to vote in your county, be able to read and write the English language, attend training and be available to work all of Election Day.
You may not serve as a poll worker if you are a candidate on the ballot or an official write-in candidate in the election; you are the parent, child, sibling, or spouse of a candidate on the ballot or an official write-in candidate; or you are prohibited from serving as an election official due to any other laws or disqualifications.
Poll workers will be compensated for their time. Counties pay anywhere from $175 to $350 for Election Day poll workers depending on the specific job for the poll worker. Poll workers must arrive by 5:45 a.m. and the polls close at 7:30 p.m. Poll workers are also required to take one day of training, which can take up to about two hours and pays anywhere from $35 to $50.
The Monongalia County Clerk’s website, monongaliacountyclerk.com, will include poll worker information soon. The office is at 243 High St., Courthouse Room 123, Morgantown. Call 304-291-7233 for information. Office hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
To register as a West Virginia poll worker, visit your county clerk’s office. More information is available at www.GoVoteWV.com.
