2022 Elections: Maricopa County hiring about 3,000 election workers for November
PHOENIX - Three days after the primary election, elections workers in Maricopa County are getting ready for the next election, which will take place in November.
According to Megan Gilbertson with the Maricopa County Elections Department, the county did have a smooth election.
"Very normal for us. We had over 122,000 early ballots dropped off, so each of those need to be signature-verified first, and then go to our bipartisan processing board, then go to get tabulated and counted," said Gilbertson.
The department is already moving on to hiring for November's general elections.
"We are the second largest voting jurisdiction in the country, and it takes a community of election workers to come in and support us," said Gilbertson.
Gilbertson says they are hiring about 3,000 workers for November. For the primary election, they had about 2,100 workers. That includes poll workers, signature verifiers, warehouse workers and truck drivers.
Officials did say that they were short some warehouse workers and truck drivers.
"Really, we're looking at that as economy-driven," said Gilbertson. "We have a really low unemployment rate right now, and there are other places that are able to pay a little more than we are."
Gilberston says with that shortage in the primary election, they moved around shifts to get every polling location set up in time. She also said should be easier getting those temporary workers for the general election than it was for the primaries.
"It is easier November than in August," said Gilbertson. "Everyone knows the heat, and we have a lot of people out of time vacation, so it is easier in November, but we do need a lot more. Voters have a lot of different options, and we want to make sure we have the employees here that can help support that process."
A lot of the positions do require a prospective worker to be a registered voter. and officials are already taking applications for those positions. They are hoping some of the workers from the primaries will stay on to help during the general election.
Get Involved - Maricopa County Elections Department
https://recorder.maricopa.gov/Elections/GetInvolved/