Election Teams Ready But Worker Levels Not At State Ask

Election Administrators around the Upper Cumberland say they feel they are prepared for August’s election.

That’s despite not meeting the state mandate of two times the normal workers. White County Election Administrator Dorcas Marcum said she is trying to have one or two extra workers at each polling site.

“We don’t have double the workers,” Marcum said. “But we’re trying to extra workers at each precinct. Like a couple of extra workers, because they’re going to have extra jobs to do.”

Marcum said on top of the normal election tasks, workers will be distributing masks and sanitizing between each voter. Like Marcum, Van Buren County Administrator Wayne Simmons said he likes to have 2 extra people at each polling location. He said only four of his usual workers have asked not to work August 6.

Joey Williams in Fentress County said he has enough workers to cover early voting and at each polling location on election day.

“Right now, everyone has stepped up,” Williams said. “They willing to work, and state’s provided us with protective gear, face masks, gloves, and sanitation wipes. We’re trying to prepare and get ready.”

Even in ideal times election officials struggle to find workers. Marcum said she believes shifting technology is partially to blame.

“It’s new technology,” Marcum said. “Just something new kind of makes people not want to work sometime. We went from machines to paper ballots. They’re easy, but we also have the new technology of a scanner. And we went to doing the poll books rather than signing the signature book. They are easy once everybody learns that.”

To serve as an election worker, call the local office. In White County, call (931) 836-3671. In Fentress County (931) 879-7162. In Van Buren County, call (931) 946-2728.