Doctor denounces Allegheny County's use of health workers to count votes

Allegheny County Health Department workers are pitching in with Election Day duties, prompting one Pittsburgh-based doctor to criticize the move at a time when the county’s health resources are in high demand.

“I think it’s a poor use of resources — I don’t think people became doctors and epidemiologists to count ballots,” Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told the Tribune-Review on Tuesday.

County spokeswoman Amie Downs said the practice of county employees helping out during elections isn’t new. She said it’s mandatory for some county employees — even those who work in the health department — to count ballots and perform other minor Election Day tasks.

“Yes, just like with prior elections, it’s all hands on deck to run an election,” Downs told the Tribune-Review. “Election Day is not a county holiday. So, employees are not off from work. With the passage of mail-in ballots, this option has become quite popular and in order to facilitate an efficient pre-canvassing process on Election Day, our elections division requires additional manpower.”

Allegheny County Manager William McKain assigned employees to work with elections workers today, Downs said. Each director indicates their needs and demands for staff, and then the county assigns other staff where there is a need.

Adalja said health department officials should be focusing on covid-19, monkeypox, RSV and other public health concerns — not ballots cast for governor or senator.

“County officials do not value the health department,” Adalja said. “They do not understand the value of medicine and science. This is another reason politics and politicians should be kept away from public health officials.”

Downs said Dr. Debra Bogen, the county’s health department director, is working with election staffers today, and has in previous years.

“It is great that our county employees from various departments help our elections division to administer this important aspect of public service, voting,” Downs said.

A health department spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.