Sedgwick County needs up to 75 more election workers before the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election, and the county's $8.50-an-hour pay is making recruitment difficult.
Rainwater said her office asked the Sedgwick County Board of County Commissioners for a funding increase this year to raise pay and hire more staff. Commissioners denied the request.
"It's disappointing that they didn't increase it this year, but there were other higher priority budget items," Rainwater said. "They can go down to your local fast food restaurant and make 10 or 12 an hour."
Commissioner Ryan Baty cited other budget priorities when explaining the denied pay raise, KWCH reported.
The shortage is tied to a rapid expansion of polling locations. Commissioners approved adding 30 new sites to the original 82. So far, 27 have opened. Each site requires six to eight workers, according to Rainwater.
Poll workers put in long shifts. They arrive by 5:45 a.m. for polls that open at 7 a.m. and work roughly 14-hour days.
Katie Grover, a Sedgwick County election worker since 2020, said most poll workers are not motivated by the paycheck. She described Election Day as long but fulfilling, saying workers get to see their neighbors and first-time voters exercising their civic duty.
Key dates for Sedgwick County voters
The county elections office lists several deadlines ahead of the Nov. 3 vote:
- Tuesday, Oct. 13: Deadline to register to vote or update voter registration.
- Monday, Oct. 19: Early in-person voting begins at three locations.
- Tuesday, Oct. 27: Early voting expands to all 20 sites across the county.
- Tuesday, Nov. 3: Election Day.
Residents interested in working the polls can contact the Sedgwick County Election Office directly.
