Fishing
for poll workers on campus
By Adrienne Figueroa
On-line Forty-Niner
In
an effort to supplement a statewide shortage
of poll workers this November, the Cal State
Long Beach political science department
will partake in a project that will mark
the first of its kind in the California
State University system.
This week, political science professors
will call upon students in their American
government classes to sign up as poll workers
for election day in exchange for extra credit
in the course, as well as an opportunity
to view the political process at “ground
level,” said political science chair and
professor Charles Noble.
“We think it’s an important form of service
learning,” Noble said.
The idea to recruit CSULB students for poll
work was generated through the office of
Sen. Betty Karnette, D-Long Beach, in response
to the area’s growing concern for the dwindling
number of poll workers, Noble said.
Karnette contacted the County of Los Angeles
Registrar and Recorder Conny McCormack,
who then contacted CSULB President Robert
Maxson, Noble said. The political science
department opted to present the proposal
to all American government students, with
an incentive that includes extra credit
points in addition to $25 for training and
$55 for election day work, Noble added.
“This is the nuts and bolts of the political
process,” he said.
Several factors have contributed to the
decrease in poll workers, one being that
the generation of people who are typically
engaged in the work are getting older and
are approaching retirement, Noble said.
“There haven’t been enough people stepping
up to do it,” he said.
Another obstacle involves a steady change
in the structure of the family unit within
the past two decades. At one time, more
women stayed at home and were available
to work at the polls all day. Today, with
an increase in two-income families, the
amount of people who can spend a day at
the polls has lessened, said Darren Chesin,
chief consultant to the senate commission
on elections and reapportionment for Karnette’s
office.
Chesin said he believes that the recruitment
project will be a benefit to students as
well as citizens on the local and national
level.
“It provides a new source of potential poll
workers for the country,” he said.
Nearly every county in the state uses high
school students to work the polls, a move
that has proven to be a success, Chesin
said. Younger poll workers tend to have
the energy needed to work the long hours
that election day requires, he added.
“They have the stamina,” Chesin said. “They
understand new technologies.”
Possessing computer skills will prove to
be more important for poll workers because
the state will soon implement the usage
of touch screen voting machines, similar
to an ATM machine, he said.
If the CSULB political science project works
out, the concept will be introduced to other
college campuses, Chesin said.
“Hopefully, it will catch on all over the
state,” he said.
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