HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris County is looking for thousands of election workers for what its top elections official believes could be a "record turnout" in the November presidential election. County Clerk Chris Hollins expects over a 65% turnout which would be more than 1.5 million registered voters casting a ballot.
“Because of that, and because of this second wave of COVID-19 that we’re facing, we need a record number of locations to accommodate those voters,” Hollins said.
There will be more than 800 polling sites on Nov. 3 and about 100 early voting sites in October. Hollins said he plans to hire more than 8,000 workers, which is about 20 to 30 percent more than a typical presidential election. He says staffing could surpass 10,000 workers.
Nearly 2,000 poll workers ran a smooth July primary runoff in the middle of a pandemic. Hollins says many of them were senior citizens, a group generally at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
“I think we were encouraged because, you know, they felt safe,” Hollins said.
Hollins said voting centers will again be sanitized, social distancing will be enforced and personal protection equipment will be provided.
On Tuesday, he announced the S.A.F.E. Elections Advisory Committee. It’s a team of doctors and health experts helping the county further improve its safety plan.
“We’re targeting younger folks as well, especially during this economic challenge that we’re all facing,” Hollins said. “There are many people who are out of work or could use more work.”
All positions are paid and start at $17 an hour plus overtime. Workers must be registered Harris County voters, have transportation to and from the polling site and be able to attend paid training.
They’re especially looking for bilingual workers, and not just for Spanish speakers. Students 16 and older can apply to work as student clerks. People interested can apply here.
There is no deadline to apply. A spokesperson said the County Clerk’s Office will start calling applicants in early September.