And, second, as overall voter turnout among young people remains painfully low, offering a hands-on civics education to high schoolers has the potential to improve the understanding of the election process among young people, which in turn could help turn those young people into regular voters for years to come. The Board also serves as a resource for election support for Municipal Election Commissions. Stover said in Pottawatomie County so far this year, more than 2,200 absentee ballots have been sent out, compared with a total of 488 in 2016, which was also a presidential election year. The county is still training poll workers and the number of available workers can change even up to the day of the election, he said. Oklahoma currently allows only registered voters, who must be at least 18, to become poll workers. There, she got to try her hand at being an election judge, which is the title of the person who looks voters up and has them sign the precinct registry. A question on the minds of election officials is whether a similar scenario will play out when thousands of voters head for the polls starting next week for the primary election, raising the risk of spreading the deadly coronavirus. With each election, millions of Americans dedicate themselves to sustaining the backbone of democracy - our election process. Poll workers are traditionally trained in person and recertified by another round of training every three years. Some counties also plan to monitor behavior of voters standing in line and, if necessary, politely suggest they move farther apart. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are nominated by the Oklahoma County Democratic and Republican Party Central Committee, respectively. You will be entitled to compensation. The value of this insider experience is not lost on advocates seeking to expand the pool of eligible poll workers. All appointments are certified by the State Election Board. Bratzler urged voters to be mindful of poll workers’ health and said safety precautions come down to common courtesy. VOTE411 is committed to ensuring voters have the information they need to successfully participate in every election. A Norman native and graduate of the University of Oklahoma, she previously covered state politics in Virginia and Arizona before returning to Oklahoma. Forty-five polling places changed location for the June primary, 37 because of COVID-19. County election boards are always seeking poll workers – which was as true before the pandemic as it is now. The concerns for poll workers and voters is heightened by a recent spike in coronavirus cases, which hit new records for daily counts several times since June 12, according to Oklahoma State Department of Health data. The Election Board is composed of three members; a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, and Secretary, who are appointed by the State Election Board. For the upcoming election, there will be fewer than 30 voting booths, he said. More by Supriya Sridhar, After Oklahomans Vote, Four Takeaways From the Primary, What You Need to Know About Voting in the Primary Election, After Years of Legislative Inaction, Voters Say Yes to Medicaid Expansion, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. “It’s going to be sort of a perfect storm this election,” Sanderson said. County election boards staff elections by sending assignments to their pool of certified poll workers in the month before the election and confirming that those folks are available to work. Every day we strive to produce journalism that matters — stories that strengthen accountability and transparency, provide value and resonate with readers like you. And there are positive indicators that making teenagers eligible to work elections could have a positive impact on voter turnout in the long term. Greenstreet predicts there will be heavy voter turnout because State Question 802, which seeks to expand Medicaid, will be on the ballot. He expressed concern that the board was putting itself in a position to have to make a referral to the attorney general's office any time polling sites open late. Like Stevens, Sharp, a 37-year old documentary filmmaker, said the coronavirus pandemic played a role in his decision to volunteer. Registration application cutoffs are 24 days before each election. The uncertainty over COVID-19 risks has Oklahoma election boards grappling with how to safely deliver a basic right of democracy. Each precinct is required to have an Inspector, Judge, and Clerk. Stevens completed an online training and, at 6:15 on the morning of the June 30 primary election, she reported to the Oklahoma County Election Board and waited under the fluorescent lights to see where she would be assigned. Robert Greenstreet, of Ada, has to let the Pontotoc County Election Board know by Monday whether he plans to work the polls. As a last resort, the law allows county election boards to consolidate polling places if there is a shortage of election workers. Most Oklahoma election workers are retirees and are age 61 or older. “I do think that Fulton County has been very forthright, very cooperative in dealing with these problems,” he said. The State Election Board worked with OU Health Sciences Center to develop safety protocols for all of Oklahoma’s 2,000 polling places and 77 county election boards. “It’s becoming harder and harder to ignore that you need to be a part of this.”, The week in coveducation: Federal grants, canceled events and an Epic audit, OK County Commissioner Corral: Debate to pit Brian Maughan v. Spencer Hicks, This week in coveducation: OKCPS raises alert level, state board discusses response, This week in coveducation: Cancellations, parent protests, AG opinion request.

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