Election costs shoot up due to COVID-19 safety concerns

SHEFFIELD TWP. — Opening the polls for in-person voting this fall will be no small feat and carry no small price tag, according to Lorain County Board of Elections Director Paul Adams. Preparations for Nov. 3 started the moment the COVID-19-interrupted spring primary ended, he said. With less than three months to go and a pandemic causing headaches, manpower is proving to be one of the biggest obstacles. There are simply not enough workers to run the polls on Election Day, Adams said. "At this point, we've reached out to about 50 county organizations to ask them to relay information to their members about serving as poll workers," he said. Lorain County alone needs about 1,200 workers and Ohio, according to Secretary of State Frank LaRose, needs about 35,000. Adams said his office has sent surveys out to potential poll workers and is awaiting the results. "A good number" have already declined to help because of coronavirus concerns. Even if the vast majority say yes, there needs to be a large reserve prepared in case of illness, he said. Poll workers are paid $150 for the day, which runs from 5:30 a.m. until the last person in line at closing time has voted — usually about 8:30 p.m. Adams said most don't do it for the money: "The reason they're doing it is because they believe in democracy and they want to stand up and defend it." Polling locations also are a problem. Senior centers and nursing homes that have traditionally been part of the picture were forced to close in the spring before all in-person voting was shut down. Adams said they are prohibited from reopening as polling stations this fall, and he doubts they'll reopen again in the spring. New polling stations are being chosen. A complete list will be on the Board of Elections' agenda when it meets at 3 p.m. Monday. Teams have been scouting possible locations to ensure they are accessible and, most importantly, have enough space to meet 6-foot social distancing requirements between voting machines, Adams said. Part of the $250,000 provided to Lorain County elections officials by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act — or CARES Act — will be used to spread the word voters about changes in polling locations. It will also educate them how to vote early or absentee. Adams said he expects voters to cast the largest volume of mail-in ballots in Lorain County history. A typical presidential election sees about 40,000 votes cast. He believes the 2020 election will easily double that number. Much of the CARES Act money has been set aside to help handle extra mailing costs associated with absentee ballots, as well as equipment to help process it all, Adams said. The good news is that he believes the uptick in absentee voting could keep wait times for in-person voters down. When you arrive at a polling location on Election Day, workers will hand you a sanitized stylus to sign in, then a ballot card for the voting machine. Workers will wipe down machines after each person votes. Those workers will be wearing masks and gloves, also paid for with CARES Act funds or through LaRose's office. Voters will be strongly encouraged to wear masks as well. However, a directive from the secretary of state bars boards of election from requiring them, according to Adams. If a voter refuses to wear a mask, poll workers will have to find a way to let them vote, which may mean providing a distanced area the unmasked. Adams said no decision has been made to take temperatures or symptom screenings at the door. There will be plexiglass shields, which Adams called "expensive but necessary in this new world of COVID." They will be installed next week at the Board of Elections office in Sheffield Township. The county has also helped provide shields for every single table at polling locations — total cost, $27,000. Adams said all of the CARES Act money for elections in Lorain County has all been allocated. More may be needed to ensure public safety on Nov. 3, he said. Contact Jason Hawk at (440) 329-7122 or news@lcnewspapers.com.