Friday, November 6, 2015

Knox Co. Election Commish seeking help in 2016 for three elections

The Knox County Election Commission is seeking poll workers to help run three elections next year.

The commission will host five orientations in mid-November for those interested.

“While we have a great group of experienced election workers, we need many more new workers to staff all of our precincts in what promises to be a busy year for voting,” said Knox County Administrator of Elections Cliff Rodgers. “We’ll use these orientation sessions to highlight the work our workers do and why having new workers is crucial to the administration of elections.”

The county has 85 precincts in 71 polling places and will require hundreds of trained officials, Rodgers added.

The elections will be held March 1, Aug. 4 and Nov. 8.

Rodgers said he expects turnout for the November election, which will include the presidential race, to approach 200,000 voters.

Those interested in helping will be paid for working on the election days and taking the training classes. Workers can earn $10 or $15 an hour for training, depending on the nature of it, but they are not paid for the orientation class; $10 an hour for early voting ($15 an hour for officers); $15 an hour for nursing home work; and on election day, $135 for workers and $175 for officers.

Officers, who earn slightly more, must have "sufficient experience," Rodgers said.There are no unpaid volunteers.

The orientation session are:
  • Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. Bearden Branch Library, 100 Golf Club Road
  • Nov. 17 at 10 a.m. John T. O Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona Street
  • Nov. 17 at 6 p.m. Howard Pinkston Library, 7732 Martin Mill Pike
  • Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. Cedar Bluff Branch Library, 9045 Cross Park Drive
  • Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. Fountain City Branch Library, 5300 Stanton Road
For more information or to sign up for one of the orientation sessions, please call Brian Hall at the Election Commission at 215-2480.

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