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Secretary of State Jon Husted
Mandatory
Training for All 2014 General Election Poll Workers
Awards $760,000 in grants to help defray training and development costs
COLUMBUS – Recognizing the importance of having properly trained
elections officials in place, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted today
issued Directive 2014-21, requiring all poll workers for the upcoming
general election to undergo mandatory training. To help offset the cost
for county boards of elections, Secretary Husted also announced
$760,000 in grants for the state’s 88 counties.
“With approximately 40,000 poll workers needed on Election Day, it is
essential that we not only recruit qualified individuals, but also
ensure that they are all prepared to serve voters,” Secretary Husted
said. “Well-trained poll workers are just one more way we continue to
make it is easy to vote and hard to cheat in Ohio.”
Under state law, poll workers are required to participate in an
education program that instructs them as to the rules, procedures and
law pertaining to elections administration in Ohio. New poll workers
must go through training before working the polls, while those who have
previously served only need to go through retraining a minimum of once
every three years. Today’s directive ensures all poll workers are ready
for the 2014 November General Election.
Each county will receive an amount based on the number of registered
voters in that county. This funding will provide for the mandatory
training each poll worker is required to complete under state law.
These funds help offset some of the cost associated with training poll
workers for county boards of elections, which are facing tighter
budgets.
To date, the Secretary of State’s office has awarded more than $1.5
million to ensure individuals staffing neighborhood polling locations
are properly trained ahead of Election Day so voters have a positive
experience.
The Secretary of State’s office also assists with the recruitment of
new poll workers through PEOinOhio.com. This comprehensive website
provides online training tools and resources for county boards of
elections and poll workers alike, as well as an online sign-up for
Ohioans to become poll workers. To date, more than 2,100 people have
signed up through the Secretary of State’s office.
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