Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hartfeat Saint Louis with TJ A KAJ Holiday bringing you
the pulse of the city.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Hey, what's up this boy?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Doctor b J the DJ Holiday And today on the show,
we're gonna talk about election poll workers recruitment. And when
I got the email about you know, uh this topic,
I was thinking they were just gonna, you know, just
have a person come on and talk and and uh,
(00:33):
you know, we just kind of discussed the importance of
you know, uh recruiting poll workers because there's a poleworker
recruitment day for elections that's coming up real soon. And
I they told me the person name, and I looked
at his bio and I went, oh, my god, Wow,
(00:55):
this is the guy.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
This is the guy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So today, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to try
everything I can to be on my best behavior. Coming
to the show right now is the Election Assistant commission
EAC as we call it, Commissioner, mister, mister Donald Palmer.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
How you doing today, sir?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm just fine. DJ. I's doing fine.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So I'm trying to be on my best behavior.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
But you know, when it comes to talking about elections,
especially when we seeing this need for you know, poll workers,
you know, this could be a topic that you know,
that really needs to be discussed and really need to
dive into it. Now, I do believe is it August twelfth?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
So?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
National poet or Recruitment Day is August twelfth. But you
can relax, Bjay. You know, we are not a federal
enforcement agency. We're here to assist the states, and so
I like to tell folks that when we talk about
election issues.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Oh okay, all right, okay, well then I'm just going
to be myself. Okay, good, thank you sir.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Anyway, that's no problem.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
The election poll Worker Recruitment Day coming up August twelfth.
Why is it there's this need for you know, poll workers.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, you know, we saw it during the COVID period
of time that there's been a progression of in our
surveys that localities and counties and cities are having problems
recruiting adequate poll workers for the polling places that we're
voting and elections take place. And so we as a
(02:43):
federal agency of the Election Assistants Commission, we're here to
assist and advise all the you know, the eight thousand
jurisdictions across the country that hold elections, and we're here
to help them recruit powers. So August twelfth is a
national day of action really to try to you know,
work on social media, the radio waves, to just get
(03:04):
the word out to Americans that we need them to
sign up to be a POE worker for the next
year and for hopefully the next cycle which is coming
in you know, twenty twenty five and here at twenty
twenty six. There's just the need here in America for
POE workers. And we have an aging population of POE
(03:25):
workers that the vast majority of our pokers are sixty
one years or older, and we really appreciate all the
efforts they're doing, and we have to start start looking
at recruiting younger, younger aged folks for the future.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
All right now, my question is because you know, like myself, right,
I go to the polls, I see this person sitting
behind a desk and they're asking for my identification and
they you know, making sure that I have, you know,
the write a sheet that I need to vote. What
(04:00):
does it take to be a poll worker? I mean,
what are the requirements?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, here's you know, sometimes there's summer cremements, like being
a registered voter. But really, the reality of it is
is that do you have the the impetus to go
through a couple of days of training, learn, learn a
skill set that you can facilitate in a polling place
and then be willing to serve on election day or
if your county or state has early voting, to serve
(04:28):
during those days running up to the election. It really
is am I willing to give time and you will
be paid though, And I'm willing to give some time
to the election office to facilitate the right to vote
for others in my community. They'll train you, they'll pay you,
they will help you. In the end, it's American citizens
(04:49):
in the polling place to actually make this work. And
so if people are you know, not confident or or
they're not sure, I asked them to give it a
try because a lot of folks they'll do it for
the first time and they'll love it and they'll just
want to be a poll worker for the long term.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Okay, now this question, I know that you know when
you see people at the polling place, and to your point,
like you said, you have an aging you know, population
of people who are poll workers.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But you know you go into the pole place.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And like some people, they work a job nine to five,
you know what I mean, how does that work for
somebody who's working, especially someone that's lacking their twenties and
their thirties and that type of thing.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, I think the trainings usually accommodate folks who have
a maybe have another nine to five job. But I
would I would say that for most Americans corporations and businesses,
if an employee needed some time off, you know, and
not have to take sick leave or regular leave, I
think most employers are going to authorize that and allow
(06:00):
them to do that. It is definitely worth the ass
because it's such a valuable experience, and as you see,
many of our ploorkers are sort of aging of it.
They've been doing it for decades or years, and so
they're doing it because they love it, and so getting
involved now it could be something that you value for
the rest of your life. Now again, just back to
(06:20):
your point, I think that there have been state governments
and federal governments and local governments that give their employees'
time off. Many businesses do as well. That maybe an
individual decision or discussion with your employer, but I think
it's worth happening, because most employers are going to say
absolutely yes.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Right because you know that's the one thing that you
know when you talk about a younger generation or you
know people that just work there nine to fives. They're
trying to figure it out because I know, like myself,
I would be like, man, I would love to do that,
but then I never had the information on how do
(06:59):
I become a pole worker? So what are the steps
to become a pole worker? I mean, you know what
I'm saying. Is there like a website that I go to?
Is there? Uh, you know a phone number I call?
How how do I get started on the process?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well, the first thing is is that if you are
a registered voter, your jurisdiction should have a website and
they'll have a place on there that are you interested
of being a poe worker? And you can navigate that
if if you have the opportunity to go to help
America vote dot gov Help America Vote dot gov, that
will allow you to provide information and direct you to
(07:38):
that website. You know, so it's a one stop shop
for you. And this would be a way that you
can either call or email your interest. They will respond
to you and say let's get you on the calendar
for training and orientation and from there you can you
can see if it's something for you in the long
(07:59):
term future.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
No, Okay, Now, the big day is coming up, I
do believe is August twelveth, So what is going to
be taking place that day?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
So August twelfth, we're going to be in New Orleans, Louisiana.
We're going to be the World War Two Museum. We're
going to be streaming from there highlighting National Poker Recruitment
Day because Louisiana is one of those states that's having
a statewide election New Jersey, Virginia, and then other states
(08:29):
will be having municipal elections and other type elections. But
the need for POE workers is still there. But we
will be highlighting at the World War Two Museum poll
workers who have served in the military and now are
serving as poll workers though, you know, we want to
thank them for their service and thank them for the
(08:50):
future service. We'll also have the Secretary of State's Office Louisiana,
and we'll also have the New Orleans Parish and many
of the parishes around the New Orleans area. We just
I mean, basically, we want to basically thank them for
their service in the past, and recruit and highlight just
the value of serving as a POE worker in the future.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
All right, well, right now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking
with Donald Palmer. He's the United States Election Assistant commission Commissioner,
and they're having their big Election poll Workers Day on
August twelfth, and we were discussing the things that are
(09:30):
needed for you to be a poll worker. Donald, before
you get out of here, I want to allow you
to just talk to my listeners and talk about the
importance of what it is to be a poll worker,
you know what I mean, And then you can give
the information of how they go to the website or
(09:53):
phone number that they need to call.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Sure. Well, the importance of POE workers, I really call
them the of elections. Without pokers that facilitate the election,
they're just not going to take place. So when you
go into a polling place and let's say there's four
or five people there, they're trained in different aspects of it.
They're there to help you participate in the process, to
make sure that the pole process works. Without them, it's
(10:20):
just not going to work. We have election offices that
organize and make sure they're voting, Quinn's ready, but come
election day or early voting, those polling places can't open
without ordinary citizens that are trained to be poll workers
and facilitate the voters coming in. Otherwise those doors would
not be open and we would not be able to
actually our right to vote. So once again, I would
(10:41):
just encourage people to go to help America vote.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Dot gov.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Put August twelfth on your calendar. We'll probably be streaming
from New Orleans on our YouTube channel, EAC dot gov
as a YouTube channel, and we'll be able to celebrate
National Public Recruitment Day. And the reason why this is
so important for going to get involved even if they
can't serve, is we try to raise awareness of the
need and when Americans know that there's a need to respond,
(11:10):
and so your tweet or your Facebook post can make
a huge difference. Are you telling your friends about it?
Your family about it? Can make a big difference?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
All right, Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was mister Donald Palmer.
He's the United States Election Assistance Commission Commissioner.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
We know it as the EAC.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Sarah, thank you so much for coming on the show
today to give this valuable information and let everybody know
that there's a need for us to recruit more poll workers. Now,
if people don't make the August twelfth date, will they
be able to just go on the website anytime, you know,
to register to be a poleworker.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yes, yes, we do that just to try to gather
you know, to gather folks together to amplify our message.
But yes absolutely, if you hear this down the road
some point, we still need you, please sign up already.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
All right, mister Palmer, thank you so much for coming
on to day. I really appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
This has been another edition of Heartbeat Saint Louis with
BJ the DJ a k a BJ Holiday, bringing you
the pulse of the city.
Hartfeat Saint Louis with TJ A KAJ Holiday bringing you
the pulse of the city.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Hey, what's up this boy?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Doctor b J the DJ Holiday And today on the show,
we're gonna talk about election poll workers recruitment. And when
I got the email about you know, uh this topic,
I was thinking they were just gonna, you know, just
have a person come on and talk and and uh,
(00:33):
you know, we just kind of discussed the importance of
you know, uh recruiting poll workers because there's a poleworker
recruitment day for elections that's coming up real soon. And
I they told me the person name, and I looked
at his bio and I went, oh, my god, Wow,
(00:55):
this is the guy.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
This is the guy.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
So today, ladies and gentlemen, I am going to try
everything I can to be on my best behavior. Coming
to the show right now is the Election Assistant commission
EAC as we call it, Commissioner, mister, mister Donald Palmer.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
How you doing today, sir?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm just fine. DJ. I's doing fine.
Speaker 3 (01:27):
So I'm trying to be on my best behavior.
Speaker 2 (01:29):
But you know, when it comes to talking about elections,
especially when we seeing this need for you know, poll workers,
you know, this could be a topic that you know,
that really needs to be discussed and really need to
dive into it. Now, I do believe is it August twelfth?
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Is it?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
So?
Speaker 3 (01:50):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (01:50):
National poet or Recruitment Day is August twelfth. But you
can relax, Bjay. You know, we are not a federal
enforcement agency. We're here to assist the states, and so
I like to tell folks that when we talk about
election issues.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
Oh okay, all right, okay, well then I'm just going
to be myself. Okay, good, thank you sir.
Speaker 4 (02:08):
Anyway, that's no problem.
Speaker 2 (02:11):
The election poll Worker Recruitment Day coming up August twelfth.
Why is it there's this need for you know, poll workers.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, you know, we saw it during the COVID period
of time that there's been a progression of in our
surveys that localities and counties and cities are having problems
recruiting adequate poll workers for the polling places that we're
voting and elections take place. And so we as a
(02:43):
federal agency of the Election Assistants Commission, we're here to
assist and advise all the you know, the eight thousand
jurisdictions across the country that hold elections, and we're here
to help them recruit powers. So August twelfth is a
national day of action really to try to you know,
work on social media, the radio waves, to just get
(03:04):
the word out to Americans that we need them to
sign up to be a POE worker for the next
year and for hopefully the next cycle which is coming
in you know, twenty twenty five and here at twenty
twenty six. There's just the need here in America for
POE workers. And we have an aging population of POE
(03:25):
workers that the vast majority of our pokers are sixty
one years or older, and we really appreciate all the
efforts they're doing, and we have to start start looking
at recruiting younger, younger aged folks for the future.
Speaker 2 (03:39):
All right now, my question is because you know, like myself, right,
I go to the polls, I see this person sitting
behind a desk and they're asking for my identification and
they you know, making sure that I have, you know,
the write a sheet that I need to vote. What
(04:00):
does it take to be a poll worker? I mean,
what are the requirements?
Speaker 4 (04:06):
Well, here's you know, sometimes there's summer cremements, like being
a registered voter. But really, the reality of it is
is that do you have the the impetus to go
through a couple of days of training, learn, learn a
skill set that you can facilitate in a polling place
and then be willing to serve on election day or
if your county or state has early voting, to serve
(04:28):
during those days running up to the election. It really
is am I willing to give time and you will
be paid though, And I'm willing to give some time
to the election office to facilitate the right to vote
for others in my community. They'll train you, they'll pay you,
they will help you. In the end, it's American citizens
(04:49):
in the polling place to actually make this work. And
so if people are you know, not confident or or
they're not sure, I asked them to give it a
try because a lot of folks they'll do it for
the first time and they'll love it and they'll just
want to be a poll worker for the long term.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
Okay, now this question, I know that you know when
you see people at the polling place, and to your point,
like you said, you have an aging you know, population
of people who are poll workers.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
But you know you go into the pole place.
Speaker 2 (05:26):
And like some people, they work a job nine to five,
you know what I mean, how does that work for
somebody who's working, especially someone that's lacking their twenties and
their thirties and that type of thing.
Speaker 4 (05:39):
Well, I think the trainings usually accommodate folks who have
a maybe have another nine to five job. But I
would I would say that for most Americans corporations and businesses,
if an employee needed some time off, you know, and
not have to take sick leave or regular leave, I
think most employers are going to authorize that and allow
(06:00):
them to do that. It is definitely worth the ass
because it's such a valuable experience, and as you see,
many of our ploorkers are sort of aging of it.
They've been doing it for decades or years, and so
they're doing it because they love it, and so getting
involved now it could be something that you value for
the rest of your life. Now again, just back to
(06:20):
your point, I think that there have been state governments
and federal governments and local governments that give their employees'
time off. Many businesses do as well. That maybe an
individual decision or discussion with your employer, but I think
it's worth happening, because most employers are going to say
absolutely yes.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
Right because you know that's the one thing that you
know when you talk about a younger generation or you
know people that just work there nine to fives. They're
trying to figure it out because I know, like myself,
I would be like, man, I would love to do that,
but then I never had the information on how do
(06:59):
I become a pole worker? So what are the steps
to become a pole worker? I mean, you know what
I'm saying. Is there like a website that I go to?
Is there? Uh, you know a phone number I call?
How how do I get started on the process?
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Well, the first thing is is that if you are
a registered voter, your jurisdiction should have a website and
they'll have a place on there that are you interested
of being a poe worker? And you can navigate that
if if you have the opportunity to go to help
America vote dot gov Help America Vote dot gov, that
will allow you to provide information and direct you to
(07:38):
that website. You know, so it's a one stop shop
for you. And this would be a way that you
can either call or email your interest. They will respond
to you and say let's get you on the calendar
for training and orientation and from there you can you
can see if it's something for you in the long
(07:59):
term future.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
No, Okay, Now, the big day is coming up, I
do believe is August twelveth, So what is going to
be taking place that day?
Speaker 4 (08:09):
So August twelfth, we're going to be in New Orleans, Louisiana.
We're going to be the World War Two Museum. We're
going to be streaming from there highlighting National Poker Recruitment
Day because Louisiana is one of those states that's having
a statewide election New Jersey, Virginia, and then other states
(08:29):
will be having municipal elections and other type elections. But
the need for POE workers is still there. But we
will be highlighting at the World War Two Museum poll
workers who have served in the military and now are
serving as poll workers though, you know, we want to
thank them for their service and thank them for the
(08:50):
future service. We'll also have the Secretary of State's Office Louisiana,
and we'll also have the New Orleans Parish and many
of the parishes around the New Orleans area. We just
I mean, basically, we want to basically thank them for
their service in the past, and recruit and highlight just
the value of serving as a POE worker in the future.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
All right, well, right now, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking
with Donald Palmer. He's the United States Election Assistant commission Commissioner,
and they're having their big Election poll Workers Day on
August twelfth, and we were discussing the things that are
(09:30):
needed for you to be a poll worker. Donald, before
you get out of here, I want to allow you
to just talk to my listeners and talk about the
importance of what it is to be a poll worker,
you know what I mean, And then you can give
the information of how they go to the website or
(09:53):
phone number that they need to call.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
Sure. Well, the importance of POE workers, I really call
them the of elections. Without pokers that facilitate the election,
they're just not going to take place. So when you
go into a polling place and let's say there's four
or five people there, they're trained in different aspects of it.
They're there to help you participate in the process, to
make sure that the pole process works. Without them, it's
(10:20):
just not going to work. We have election offices that
organize and make sure they're voting, Quinn's ready, but come
election day or early voting, those polling places can't open
without ordinary citizens that are trained to be poll workers
and facilitate the voters coming in. Otherwise those doors would
not be open and we would not be able to
actually our right to vote. So once again, I would
(10:41):
just encourage people to go to help America vote.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
Dot gov.
Speaker 4 (10:47):
Put August twelfth on your calendar. We'll probably be streaming
from New Orleans on our YouTube channel, EAC dot gov
as a YouTube channel, and we'll be able to celebrate
National Public Recruitment Day. And the reason why this is
so important for going to get involved even if they
can't serve, is we try to raise awareness of the
need and when Americans know that there's a need to respond,
(11:10):
and so your tweet or your Facebook post can make
a huge difference. Are you telling your friends about it?
Your family about it? Can make a big difference?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
All right, Well, ladies and gentlemen, that was mister Donald Palmer.
He's the United States Election Assistance Commission Commissioner.
Speaker 3 (11:30):
We know it as the EAC.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
Sarah, thank you so much for coming on the show
today to give this valuable information and let everybody know
that there's a need for us to recruit more poll workers. Now,
if people don't make the August twelfth date, will they
be able to just go on the website anytime, you know,
to register to be a poleworker.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Yes, yes, we do that just to try to gather
you know, to gather folks together to amplify our message.
But yes absolutely, if you hear this down the road
some point, we still need you, please sign up already.
Speaker 2 (12:08):
All right, mister Palmer, thank you so much for coming
on to day. I really appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (12:13):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
This has been another edition of Heartbeat Saint Louis with
BJ the DJ a k a BJ Holiday, bringing you
the pulse of the city.
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