Push for Poll Workers As Election Nears

Usually a shortage of poll workers will mean little more than long lines. But there is always the risk that overworked officers could make a mistake.

"The more we put on them, the more stress they're under, and they're human beings," Murphy said.

A shortage of trained poll workers in Maryland was partly blamed for widespread problems during the 2006 primary, when dozens of polling places opened late and some voters were turned away without casting their ballots. In 2002, results of a congressional primary were delayed for hours as Montgomery County poll workers struggled with new voting machines. In this year's presidential primary in the District, some poll workers declined to make touch-screen voting machines available because they were intimidated by the technology.

In July, elections officials in Virginia began an aggressive campaign to recruit poll workers after learning that there was a statewide need for about 10,000 more precinct staff members -- a number that jolted Nancy Rodrigues, secretary of the State Board of Elections. The board alerted media organizations and posted signs throughout the state.

Virginians stepped up to the plate, Rodrigues said, in part because of the sense of history surrounding this election.

"Every presidential election is an exciting one, so you always get much more interest than you do [for] other elections," Rodrigues said. "But clearly, everyone is very, very interested in this one, as we saw in the primary election, when we had more voters in February . . . than we had in last year's November statewide election."

But that same excitement is why jurisdictions across Washington are trying to staff their precincts with a glut of workers, preparing for a high level of scrutiny.

All applicants are welcome in Howard County, which is hoping to put more than 1,100 workers in its 110 precincts. Fairfax County expects to put 3,000 workers, more than ever before, in place to ensure things go smoothly. All of the areas say they are within reach of their goals.

The challenge will be greater in Loudoun, where the population has grown about 18 percent and 10 precincts have been added since 2004. The crowds were so overwhelming that year that at one precinct in Ashburn, workers opened the doors at 6 a.m. to find 500 people in line. Officials are trying to recruit 200 additional workers to avoid similar problems this year and have placed ads in local newspapers.

"People are contacting us because they think this is a historic event, and they all want to be part of it," said Price, the Loudoun Electoral Board secretary. "But there aren't enough people who feel that way."

Staff writer Jonathan Mummolo and researchers Meg Smith and Magda Jean-Louis contributed to this report.