Tuesday, October 05, 2010

Poll Workers Needed

More than 3,500 workers are needed to work the November 2 general election in Marion County. If you would like to volunteer to work at the polls on election day, please contact the Clerk's office at 327-5100, or you can fill out a form to volunteer by clicking here. I'm still looking for one additional Republican for my precinct. It's incredible how many excuses people make up to turn down a paid volunteer opportunity. Civic duty isn't a virtue anymore, I guess. Please e-mail me if you are interested in a spot at my downtown precinct that votes at the senior center on East Michigan Street just east of College Avenue.

UPDATED: I found the volunteer I needed, but many more are still needed to work other precincts so contact the Clerk's Office if you can offer your services on election day.

8 comments:

M Theory said...

Is the #1 excuse they need to work to pay the tax man?

Cato said...

Aren't there criminal violations for doing this job wrong?

Yep.

All of 3-14 is full of criminal penalties regarding elections, but this section is most alarming: http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/title3/ar14/ch4.html

If you work the polls, and if you slip across one of these lines, you're looking at Class D felony. Heck, you can be squeaky-clean, but if someone wants to make you a political target with a bogus prosecution, your life is ruined trying to fight a felony charge.

Remember, there are lots of innocent people in prisons and who've taken pleas to crimes they never committed.

Now, I ask you, is $200 worth that sort of criminal liability? I don't work the polls for the same reason I don't coach little league or babysit friends' kids.

Russ said...

I tried once, and they never got back with me. I figured it was because I didn't have experience stuffing ballot boxes or voting for Carson.

Gary R. Welsh said...

If you are a Republican, Russ, you may want to call the party headquarters at 635-8881 and ask for Joey Fox.

Bill said...

Joey Fox quit a while ago.He got into a shouting match with Tom John.He has been helping run the fantastic Fishburn campaign.

Gary R. Welsh said...

Well, I just e-mailed him today so I don't think that's accurate at all, Bill.

Carlos F. Lam said...

Why does Beth White always seem to wait until the last minute to fill these poll worker spots?

Gary R. Welsh said...

Carlos, each party takes primary responsibility to find election day workers. Each precinct has an inspector, two judges and two clerks. The Clerk's office's role is focused more on training the workers and making sure the equipment is in place. If one of the partyes fails to find election day workers in any of the precincts, then the burden falls back on the clerk's office to find workers to fill those spots.