Poll worker turnout has been positive, but the San Diego Registrar of Voters is still looking for more.
"We are looking to recruit roughly 2,500 poll workers, and of course we would like to have a good presence of bilingual poll workers at all of the voting locations," said Shawn Brom, assistant at the San Diego Registrar of Voters.
He says there’s a big need for bilingual poll workers.
"The county is seeking poll workers, bilingual poll workers specifically, in ten languages of interest," he said. "Specifically, right now is the Filipino, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Laotian."
Brom says having bilingual poll workers can ensure a better experience for many voters.
"When the voter goes to a vote center and they're able to see somebody from their community that they recognize, they feel comfortable. They're able to ask questions and understand the voting process in their preferred language," Brom said.
The county provides language assistance to voters in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Persian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.
It’s a 2 day training process for poll workers, bilingual or not, and no experience is needed.
Polling centers begin to open on Oct. 26, and will be located around the county.
Poll workers receive a stipend of $145 dollars for each day worked and $240 dollars on Election Day for extended hours.
Bilingual poll workers receive an additional stipend.
"If you're a bilingual speaker, you'll receive an additional $5 stipend for each of those days and $10 on Election Day, " Brom said. "So it's about helping the community, being civically engaged and also receiving a stipend."
Anyone interested in being a poll worker has until the end of October to sign up at SDvote.com.
