Poll workers needed for early presidential primary

he County of San Diego Registrar of Voters is asking the public to help staff voting sites throughout the county for the presidential primary election on February 5, the earliest date California has scheduled its presidential primary in decades.

“The earlier date is expected to give the state a greater voice in the selection process, but the timing is a challenge because poll worker recruitment must be done during the busy holiday season, when many people are focused on other things,” said Registrar of Voters Deborah Seiler.

With just seven weeks until the election, only 2,300 people have signed up to serve and 6,500 registered voters are needed, including the following bilingual staff: 994 who speak Spanish and English, 256 who speak Filipino and English and 157 who speak Vietnamese and English.

In addition to the presidential primary, poll workers are also needed for the direct primary on June 3 and general election on November 4, which means the Registrar must fill almost 20,000 poll worker positions next year.

Poll workers receive a stipend of $75 to $150 depending on the assignment and bilingual workers get an additional $15. All workers are provided with training, including a new online component to reinforce lessons from the classroom and manual.

For more information, visit http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/voters/Eng/Eindex.html or contact the Registrar of Voters office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at (858) 565-5800, after hours at (858) 694-3480 or by e-mail at [email protected].