Kansas City seeks volunteer election workers for August and November

The Kansas City election board is starting a program so volunteers from nonprofit organizations can earn money for their groups while serving as election workers in the August primary and November general election.

The board also is looking for workers outside the adopt-a-poll program to fill about 100 spots for the August primary and about 300 for the November general election. Shawn Kieffer, director of the board, said it needs about 1,000 workers for August and 1,200 for November.

The adopt-a-poll program is a new way to address the worker shortage, Kieffer said.

If additional workers apply for primary spots, he said, the board will take them on. He said it helps to have workers at polling stations who all know each other and are comfortable working as a team when November comes.

Election workers can earn $180 to $215, depending on the position. Workers are expected to attend a training session before the election and work the full day, which starts at 5 a.m. and usually ends at 8 p.m. Workers must be 18 or older and a registered voter in Jackson County.

Kieffer said there is often a need for election workers and the spots can be hard to fill because it is a long workday. He said many local jurisdictions are looking for poll workers.

Johnson County has a similar adopt-a-poll program.

This story was originally published July 19, 2016 at 10:57 AM with the headline "Kansas City seeks volunteer election workers for August and November."