Low pay, low interest leave poll jobs unfilled

When voters in many areas of Westmoreland County go to the polls this November, they'll find two elective offices listed at the bottom of the ballot with no candidates.

Those non-races are for jobs that affect every election but have nothing to do with the direct operation of state, federal or local government.

The jobs are judges of elections and poll inspectors - the people who run and operate each of the county's 306 polling places every Election Day. At least half of those jobs will go unfilled on Election Day, said Paula Pedicone, director of Westmoreland County's Election Bureau.

This year, less than two months before the Nov. 6 general election, there are still about 20 poll jobs unfilled, meaning that local officials will have to find people interested in manning the posts on Election Day.

'It would be wonderful if I had them elected in every precinct,' Pedicone said. She knows that won't happen, primarily because of low pay and low interest.

Judges of election are responsible for the overall supervision of polling places. They earn $87.50 for what amounts to about 15 hours of work - polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and it takes another couple of hours to tally the votes from the machines, count absentee and write-in votes and take the results to Greensburg.

Inspectors, who man the sign-in books and direct voters to the booths, earn $72.50 for the long day.

'I've always considered it a public service instead of people doing it for the money,' Pedicone said.

Both positions are supposed to be filled by election every four years, but Pedicone said that, typically, about half of the precincts have nobody on the ballot for those posts.

When a judge of elections or poll inspector is not elected, the jobs are to be filled through appointments made by Pedicone.

This year there are still unfilled jobs in several communities, including the city of Greensburg and Salem, Unity and Hempfield townships.