Effort to recruit poll workers relaunches amid fears of shortage

In response to a worrying shortage of election workers for this year’s upcoming midterms, an alliance of civic organizations and major businesses are relaunching their “Power the Polls” program, first implemented to recruit election workers in 2020. Power the Polls was co-founded and remains backed by major corporations such as Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, and Old Navy. Supply-chain issues, an increase in violent threats to poll workers, and a tight labor market are among the many factors threatening to close down polling places around the country before the 2022 midterms if recruitment rates cannot be improved. The Senate Rules Committee has also weighed in on many of these concerns in a recent hearing.  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Image Credit: Owen Yancher