Clay County Supervisor of Elections Office is seeking bilingual individuals to fill election worker positions for the upcoming elections.
Numbers from the 2016 American Community Survey show the overall county population has increased by 11 percent in the last seven years and nine percent identify as hispanic or latino.
Clay County Supervisor of Elections, Chris Chambless, said they are trying to be proactive in what these numbers could suggest.
“If we do have citizens who are bilingual and who would like to join our team as election workers-- take advantage of that opportunity.”
Chambless explained that the Voting Rights Act requires counties to provide multi-language support once identified by the Department of Justice as having over five percent of all voting age citizens from one language group.
Clay County is looking to hire about 50 bilingual workers to meet this requirement and the needs of its citizens.
“It would be appropriate for us to have, if possible, one in every polling location. So that would be 45. Plus another 10 percent or five as standbys.”
Other counties may be interested in hiring bilingual workers too, according to Chambless.
“A number of supervisors would embrace any election worker who has the ability to communicate with their citizens.”
He is unsure about it being a requirement for other communities as they must be issued by the Department of Justice.
However, Chambless said, “We’re always looking for qualified and capable election workers to join our team.”
Inspector and deputy positions are available.
According to a news release from Clay County Supervisor of Elections Office, inspectors check in and issue ballots to eligible voters, monitor and explain how to use the voting equipment and offer any other assistance needed. Deputies maintain order outside the polling place.
Chambless noted that these jobs are paid, not volunteer. An inspector or deputy is paid anywhere from $150 to $225 per election day, including training time.
Workers must help set up and break down their assigned polling location.
Arrival time is 6 a.m and workers may leave post-poll closure, after 7 p.m.
Early primary voting in Clay County will take place from August 15 through August 28 and general election voting dates are from October 26 through November 3.
For additional information, visit Clay County Supervisor of Elections website.
Alexandra Blackwell can be reached at newsteam@wjct.org or 904-358-6316.
Photo used under Creative Commons License.
