Election Board Outlines Staffing Needs

The Stephens County Election Board office has been plagued by issues in the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a decrease in precinct staffing and volunteers.

“We desperately need precinct officials,” said Angela Dungan, Election Board Secretary. “We’ll take anyone we can get.” She said that staff at some voting precincts preferred not to work the election on June 30 due to COVID-19 concerns, and that some voting locations might be understaffed as a result.

Dunagan said that precinct officials are trained beforehand and are paid for their time on election day. The Election Board has arranged for sanitizing polling locations prior to opening and after the polls close, as well as having masks, sanitizer, and face shields available for precinct workers. Masks and sanitizer will also be available for voters, as well as distancing guidelines.

Dunagan added that she would like to have some volunteers who will clean the voting locations after the polls close so that precinct officials may focus on reporting results.

Those interested in working as a precinct official or volunteer may contact the Stephens County Election Board at 580-255-8782 or visit the office at the Stephens County Courthouse.