Poll workers needed for primary election May 17 in Kentucky

It takes 15,000 poll workers to run an election in Kentucky.

                                                                                           (STOCK PHOTO) 

FRANKFORT, Ky. – Secretary of State Michael Adams said Monday that more poll workers are needed for Kentucky’s primary election on May 17 and there is still time to sign up and volunteer.

According to Adams, it takes 15,000 poll workers to run an election in Kentucky. His office has removed the partisan barrier for serving as a poll worker, which will allow the more than 300,000 Kentuckians who are not registered as Democrats or Republicans to participate.

There is also another incentive, according to Adams. “President Reagan said, ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.’ The same is true of democracy. We can’t have an election without election workers. That’s why we launched the Ronald Reagan Award Program to encourage the private sector to help us open the polls.”

To qualify for the award, nominees must be a Kentucky business in good standing with the Secretary of State’s office and promote poll worker recruitment by offering paid time off to volunteer as a poll worker, or other incentives such as bonuses or additional paid days off. 

Businesses may nominate themselves or be nominated by others. To be considered, each nomination should include an application, as well as a letter describing how the business is encouraging employees to serve as poll ​workers.

Nomination forms may be submitted through email or by ​mailing them to:

ATTN: Ronald Reagan Award​​

Office of the Secretary of State

Suite 152, State Capitol

700 Capital Avenue

Frankfort, KY 40601

Businesses will be honored in three categories, based on the number of employees they have: small (1-25 employees), medium (26-100 employees), and large (100+ employees). Each business honored will receive a framed certificate from the Secretary of State’s office.

Learn more about the award and the nomination process here.