Dauphin County Director of Registration and Elections Chris Spackman trained a group of poll workers at the Scottish Rite Cathedral in Harrisburg.
Hundreds of poll workers in Dauphin County are being trained this week ahead of Election Day.
The county’s Director of Registration and Elections, Chris Spackman, spoke to members of the media on Thursday before one of the county’s training sessions, which will prepare 1,200 county poll workers for the municipal primary election.
In Dauphin County, the primary will take place on May 20.
“We do this before every election. We make sure everyone’s ready and knows what they’re doing,” Spackman said.
In total, the county conducts seven training sessions at three locations in Dauphin County, with opportunities for poll workers to complete online and in-person courses. During trainings, workers are instructed on things like how to check the poll books to make sure voters get the correct ballot and how to handle special exceptions, such as voting using provisional ballots, among other procedures.
Most poll workers are returning staff and many are retirees, as well, Spackman said. Poll workers are paid for their service as well as for attending trainings.
Spackman said that, while the county is always accepting applicants for poll workers, they are specifically in need of people who are bilingual, especially those who speak Spanish and Nepali.
Besides in-person voting, about 35% of registered voters cast their ballots by mail, Spackman said. So far, 15,000 mail-in ballots have been sent out and, typically, about 85% of them are returned, he said. Voters have until May 13 to request a mail-in ballot, which can be returned to the county elections office at 1251 S. 28th St., by mail or to one of seven drop boxes. Ballots that are returned by mail or at in-person locations must be received by 8 p.m. on May 20.
For more information, visit DauphinCounty.gov/Vote or call 717-780-6360.
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