The San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office is looking for local organizations to staff polling locations for the upcoming special election.
“I’m sure that the Clerk-Recorder’s Office would love to have more groups step forward,” said Ed Cabrera, League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County Voter Services Chair.
The League of Women Voters hosted five polling locations with 70 volunteers across San Luis Obispo County last November.
“They serve from the time the polls open to the time ‘til at night after 8 o’clock,” Cabrera said.
He said he’s looking forward to taking part in the county’s Adopt-A-Poll program again, this time for the special election to vote on redistricting.
“We have been in step with them, realizing there’s going to be a special election. We are going to marshal our forces,” Cabrera said.
Adopt-A-Poll allows local organizations to staff polling locations in exchange for a stipend that will go right back to their organization.
“Most organizations per precinct that they are staffing, they will receive between $500 to $600,” said Melanie Foster, San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s Office Deputy Director Clerk-Recorder.
Foster explained what’s required to participate.
“We prefer [organizations] to be non-partisan, they need to be able to provide four to five workers throughout the day to man the polling location,” she said.
With 182,000 registered voters in San Luis Obispo County, last November’s election had 70 polling locations.
“We are hoping to have about 40 polling locations because it is the same ballot across the entire county,” Foster said.
The cost to hold this special election for San Luis Obispo County is $1.8 million.
“There is a provision in the legislation that authorizes the state to reimburse the county for the cost,” Foster said.
She said the sooner you can submit an application, the better.
“And then we start making a backup list for anybody who calls out or has to cancel for whatever reason,” Foster said.
“But if you want to get in contact with your community, aid the health of your democracy, there’s nothing better than volunteering at the polls,” Cabrera said.
For more information on how you can apply to participate in the Adopt-A-Poll program, click here.
