Denver mulls boost in poll-worker pay

By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published April 22, 2008 at 11 p.m.

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Wanted: Workers willing to put in 14-hour shifts under the watchful eye of the public with pay that borders on minimum wage.

If the job of poll worker doesn't sound too hot to you, a group of Denver City Council members is considering an idea to make it more attractive: offer more cash.

By state law, the city could pay as little as $5, but it has been paying a flat rate of $100 - plus $20 for training - for at least 15 years.

Council members on the general government committee think it's time poll workers get a raise.

"We should be paying at least or better than minimum wage," Councilman Rick Garcia said. "I might even consider $150 not being out of the question."

Elections Director Michael Scarpello said his office is estimating that 1,700 poll workers will be needed. About 1,500 people have expressed interest so far, he said.

"We're hoping to have a very large pool of people to choose from, so we may not need to raise that rate," he said. "But we're going to weigh whether or not it's a wise alternative."

Councilwoman Carol Boigon, the committee chair, said offering more money might attract a younger demographic.

In the last election, Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley had to summon the police SWAT team to help count ballots after most of her poll workers, many of them elderly, went home to get some sleep after working all day.

"I just think we need to be developing a younger cadre of more technology-savvy people who are interested in being poll workers," Boigon said. "There needs to be compensation that at least covers their costs for the day."

Boigon said budget constraints to cover a pay increase shouldn't be a deterrent.

"There needs to be money available to run a competent election in Denver," she said.

Garcia said a 14-hour shift is a lot to ask of poll workers, especially if they're elderly.

"The motivation for people to be poll worker volunteers is not the money," he said. "They want to contribute to their community, the voting process, and they're generally older folks, and I think that's a lot to ask for older folks. As a result, I think they've kind of started to wane in their interest on this program."

Councilman Doug Linkhart suggested staggered shifts for poll workers.

"I think we lose quality because people get tired and grumpy, so I think it would be much better to split the shift if we could," he said.

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