The Pulaski County Election Board is urging its poll workers not to turn any voters away without checking with the board first. Clerk JoLynn Behny made the suggestion during last week’s board meeting, noting that the Clerk’s Office will be able to determine whether someone has already voted or is otherwise ineligible to vote.
“By then, the ballots will be sorted, and we can physically look through them and say, ‘No, he’s got a ballot here. He can’t vote.’ And that way, we log the calls and where they’re from and who they’re about,” Behny said.
It’s one of the many topics the Pulaski County Election Board plans to cover during poll worker training tonight and tomorrow. Workers will also be reminded about the proper attire for Election Day and to stay away from internet-based entertainment while polls are open.
But Behny said a big focus will be the special needs particular to this election. “Well, I think what we need to focus on in this training session is going to be more about how to deal with COVID, how to deal with people who come in and say, ‘I applied for a ballot but didn’t get one,’ ‘I got a ballot, but I don’t want to send it. I want to vote in person.’ I think these are the things that we need to focus on for this training more.”
Poll workers will also get a recap of the duties for their specific position.
