Westmoreland poll workers awarded big raises

Civic duty hasn’t quite been the lure Westmoreland elections officials had hoped to attract people to work the polls on Election Day, so county commissioners will offer more cash as an incentive.

Commissioners, acting as the elections board, on Friday issued massive raises to reward those who worked at the 307 precincts on Tuesday and for those planning to work during the general election in November.

“We did a raise a few years ago, but, obviously, it wasn’t enough. It is a very long day, and we appreciate it. It’s something we will evaluate and see about in the future,” Commissioner Gina Cerilli Thrasher said.

Under the revised pay scale, judges of elections will see their pay increase from $130 to $235, a figure that includes a base wage and an additional $35 stipend to take results to the courthouse after polls close. Workers who staff the poll books and manage the election machines will earn $175 for the day, an 84% increase from the previous pay of $95.

The new pay scale will be applied retroactively to include those who worked during last week’s primary.

For the past several years, county officials put out emergency calls seeking workers to staff the polls in the days before elections. The problem became worse during the past year as coronavirus concerns made it harder to attract those willing to work with the public.

“Every election, it’s getting harder and harder to find individuals to work. We’re trying to entice judges and poll workers,” Commissioner Sean Kertes said.

For each election, the county hires one judge of elections for each of the 307 voting precincts. Election Bureau Director JoAnn Sebastiani said another three to five poll workers are hired to staff each voting location. The jobs required workers to arrive at the precincts before 7 a.m. and remain until voting is finished at 8 p.m.

Commissioners said raises won’t have a major impact on county finances.

Each county in Pennsylvania sets its own pay rates for poll workers.

The additional pay means Westmoreland poll workers will earn more than those in neighboring Allegheny County, where judges earn $175 and inspectors, clerks and constables are paid $150. Like Westmoreland, Allegheny also put out a call for poll workers in the days before the primary.

“While there have been many reasons conveyed for why people do not work these positions, pay is not one of them,” Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said.