TULSA, Okla. — With a little over a month before the midterm elections, Tulsa County Election Board staff say they are experiencing a poll worker shortage.
Tulsa County Election Board staff say they’ve had to reach out to area city leaders asking for help with the precincts.
A precinct worker is often a thankless job -- little pay, long days and sometimes it can be politically charged. Jill Leslie of Tulsa says she’s seen it.
"People have become very lethargic," Leslie said.
Tulsa County Election Board Secretary Gwen Freeman’s hears about it after every election cycle.
“The voters are not always nice to our precinct officials to the point where some might even feel intimidated," Freeman said.
Freeman says she’s even had precinct workers come to work with a political agenda. It’s one reason why she says she’s had fewer precinct workers since 2020.
“If you have a political agenda, and you feel like being a precinct worker is your stage to implement that agenda, then you very mistaken."
Other reasons that play a factor include people quitting after the pandemic, and fewer people working who used to do it because of civic pride.
When Leslie moved to Tulsa in 1981, she says people cared more.
“Poll workers were making $20-25 or whatever," Leslie said. "People wanted to do their duty to the city.”
Freeman says there are 251 precinct locations in Tulsa County with three officials needed at each location. She says she was short about 400 precinct workers in September. After she talked to community leaders, they are now helping her fill vacant spots with city employees.
2 News asked Freeman what the outcome would be on the election system if there were not enough precinct workers in Tulsa County.
Freeman answered, "That was my question to the municipal leaders. I asked them, what if I can’t staff your precincts? They took that question very seriously."
If you want to sign up to be a precinct worker, you can do so on their website. The first round of all-day training starts Tuesday at the Tulsa County Election Board.
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