PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia City Commissioners have raised the pay for poll workers, in hopes of fighting the chronic shortage of people to staff voting locations on Election Day.
Philadelphia needs 8,000 poll workers to staff its 1,703 precincts on November 8, with a high turnout expected. The average age of poll workers is 62, but a lot of them, more or less, retired during the pandemic when they were at highest risk for COVID-19.
Commissioners Chair Lisa Deeley said no one really stepped up to replace them. "So what we've tried to do to," she said, "is incentivize it by paying them, really, a wage they deserve."
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Deeley hopes a 70% raise will interest more people in working the polls. The commissioners voted this week to raise pay to the maximum allowed by state law. That's $205 for judges of election and $200 for inspectors. They'll also be paid $50 for training.
"We're looking particularly at our young people. This is a great opportunity for them to step up and get civically involved and we know that when young people work the polls just one time, they’ll come back and remain part of the process," she said.
Interested people can sign up on the commission's brand new website.
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