Baltimore Area Still Needs Hundreds Of Election Workers

BALTIMORE COUNTY - As election day approaches, the Baltimore region needs hundreds of poll workers. Time is of the essence for Baltimore City and County, as election judges need to be recruited and trained ahead of the November 8 deadline.

In a Thursday hearing of the Baltimore City Council, Election Director Armstead Jones commented on the issues facing officials trying to recruit poll workers.

"Election judges have been hard to recruit ever since the pandemic," he said. "Baltimore City right now is about 1000 judges short."

Jones says a scheduled election judge training session last Wednesday was woefully underattended.

"Yesterday, we had 60 scheduled to come to training, and 10 came."

Jones also cited this year's redistricting as an obstacle to holding elections. According to Jones, Baltimore City had two and a half weeks to finish its redistricted maps, compared to the usual two months.

"It is not a perfect system…We do the very best we can with what we have in our hand to work with," Jones said. "We still have 2022 ballots being mailed out by the post office."

The Baltimore City Board of Elections website advertises $200-$275 for those who work the polls on election day. Baltimore County currently offers $185-$250, depending on role and qualifications.

The Baltimore County Board of Elections has not yet stated how many election judges are still needed to staff polling locations on November 8.

However, an email from the Baltimore County Board of Elections went out last week advertising for residents to "earn extra cash" in exchange for work as an election judge.

you can register for training as a Baltimore County election judge, or closer here.

Or as a Baltimore City election judge here.