A Letter to Missoula County Commissioners
December, 15th 2009
Missoula County Commissioners
200 West Broadway
Missoula, MT 59802
Dear Missoula County Commissioners,
The Missoula County Chapter of Montana Conservation Voters respects the hard work of Missoula County's election administrator and poll workers and the difficulty of recruiting and training qualified judges. However, closing 25 percent of our polling places is a very big decision and we are concerned this is being considered in haste and lacking adequate time for outreach and subsequent citizen feedback, with potentially large impacts on certain segments of our population.
Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund strives to increase voter participation through election-day voting, late voter registration, absentee voting, reducing barriers, and ensuring access to correct information to engage voters in an inherently complex process. Closing polling places only reduces voter participation among voters who have a low propensity to vote, are low income, live in rural areas, move frequently, have a disability or limited access to transportation.
Over the last several years we have encouraged counties and the Secretary of State to explore various options for recruiting election judges and meeting resource needs and ask that the county explore these options before closing polling places.
The time is ripe to recruit students, and appeal to local governments, state workers, businesses and civic groups to help meet the demand for new workers. Many of the suggestions below come from the U. S. Elections Assistance Commission, and are being implemented in jurisdictions across the country. We ask that as the Missoula County Commissioners you exhaust these following options before closing services that reduce voter participation:
- Develop a program with Montana colleges and universities to allow students to receive class credit and the regular poll worker stipend. It may be possible to coordinate some of this work with Montana's Office of Community Service.
- Create a student poll worker program in the high schools, allowing students to receive volunteer service hours or class credit and the poll worker stipend. The Secretary of State's office could work with the Office of Public Instruction to help put such a program in place statewide. Encourage Montana legislators to pass legislation allowing 16 and 17-yr olds to serve as election judges; such a bill passed the House in 2009, but was defeated in the Senate. This would add more youth to the potential poll worker pool.
- Recruit local government workers. General Election Day is a recognized day off for many government employees. Counties can work with local government officials and agencies to encourage all government employees to serve at the polls. Some employees may be given ‘alternate work assignments' at local polling places.
- Recruit business and corporate workers. Approach Montana business leaders to encourage staff to serve as poll workers as a commitment to community service.
- Encourage civic groups to adopt a local polling place. Some jurisdictions across the country have successfully challenged community organizations to ‘adopt a polling place' by recruiting members to serve as poll workers at that location.
- Recognize poll workers. Acknowledge the service of exceptional poll workers through an awards program that highlights the need for poll workers and ways in which Montanans are filling that need.
We recognize that the lack of state resources for state and federal elections is also squeezing counties who run these elections. A 2007 Montana Legislative Audit recommended that the Secretary of State work with counties on their ability to ensure a viable basis for long-term implementation of federal and state election laws, including provision of adequate poll workers and election resources. There should be a concerted effort to develop a long-term strategy to address county and state needs for ensuring the integrity of Montana's election process and adequately funding the system, with appropriate access to voting for all Montanans.
On behalf of the Missoula County Chapter of Montana Conservation Voters we ask that as the Missoula County Commissioners, you exhaust these options and reject the current proposal for precinct consolidation and reduced polling places.
Sincerely,
Robin Saha, Montana Conservation Voters Missoula County Chapter Board Representative
Montana Conservation Voters
POB 9335
Missoula, MT 59807
