The Registrar of Voters in Washoe County is seeking experienced poll workers to ensure a smooth and fair election process for the upcoming June primary.
Washoe County will have a total of 48 polling locations and 24 early voting locations for the election. Currently, they are still looking for poll workers, especially those with experience.
Right now, election-day staffing is 70 percent, and early elections staffing is 90 percent.
Washoe County Interim Registrar of Voters Cari-Ann Burgess says the Election Worker Protection Act will help improve working conditions and attract experienced poll workers, particularly after the harassment many faced during the 2020 election.
"Some of our employees were actually followed home. That's one of the things, they were followed home by some people, and they were actually harassed. They were not able to get into their driveways, they were not able to get into their homes," said Washoe County Registrar of the Voters Cari-Ann Burgess.
On Wednesday, Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar released a statement after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit against the Election Worker Protection Act.
The Nevada Legislature passed the Election Worker Protection Act as Senate Bill 406 in 2023, which Governor Joe Lombardo openly supported and signed into law.
The bill criminalizes any form of harassment or intimidation of election workers, including sharing personal information about them or their families.
Burgess is optimistic that the new law will encourage election workers to return after the 2020 election and help alleviate the shortage of election workers in the state.
"If anybody is harassed, we can take it to court. Before, there weren't many teeth to it, but now we can. As soon as we make a complaint, the Secretary of State's office takes it seriously, and so does our sheriff's department. Our local law enforcement knows about it; they've seen it, and they've been a part of it," said Burgess.
Police escorts will be on-site during the election and for early voting.
Additionally, Washoe County has revamped its election worker training program, including updated equipment and a more hands-on approach for each trainee.
"They (trainees) are going to do both sides of the table, so they will be able to see what the issues are, help them, and answer those questions. They will be able to see all of our forms. They're not draft forms; they are what we're going to be using in our polling locations, and so it's going to be as real as we can possibly get," said Burgess.
The office welcomes all applicants but prefers those with previous poll working experience. The office encourages anyone who has experience with greeting, intake, assistant management, and management.Â
Interested in becoming an election worker? CLICK HERE to apply.Â
