Explanation
Earlier this year, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation (Am. Sub. HB 262) granting public employees leave with pay for the purpose of being a poll worker on Election Day. This leave does not reduce any accrued leave balance the employee may have. For a variety of reasons, the available pool from which County Boards of Elections across Ohio can recruit qualified poll workers has declined in recent years, prompting some political jurisdictions to extend the privilege and opportunity to their own employees. In Franklin County, the Board of Elections must recruit , train, and field 3,200 poll workers for an average Election Day, and 4,800 workers during a Presidential Election.
An adequate number of qualified poll workers helps ensure that the democratic process works well, that voters can participate in a reasonable amount of time, and that the Board of Elections can fulfill its statutory mandate to fully staff each polling location with competent workers.
It is the desire of the City Council to enact legislation to extend the opportunity to City workers to work election polls.
Title
To amend the Management Compensation Plan, Ordinance No. 2944-99, as amended, by amending Section 10, Special Leave With Pay, to enact (H), Precinct Election Official Leave Program, to allow employees paid time off at the discretion of their appointing authority to work as a poll worker on Election Day, and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, earlier this year the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation (Am. Sub. HB 262), granting public employees leave with pay for the purpose of being a poll worker on Election Day, and
WHEREAS, the need for said action arose because the pool of qualified poll workers has been shrinking across Ohio, including Franklin County, where the Board of Elections estimates that 3,200 workers are needed for an average Election Day, and 4,800 on a Presidential Election, and
WHEREAS, an adequate number of...
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