PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Commission approved a list of 300 poll workers for the upcoming General Election in November, but there are still spots that need to be filled.

Wood County Clerk Mark Rhodes presented the list of poll workers from both the Republican and Democratic parties to the commission for approval.

“As of (Monday) morning the Republican Party has submitted enough names to fill the positions,” Rhodes said. “The Democratic Party is still 12 short.”

Both groups have been providing additional names after submitting their initial lists last week, he said.

“The Democrats have been working on additional names,” Rhodes said.

The Wood County Clerk’s Office has gotten the names of people who have worked the polls in the past who are not on the current list and will be sending letters to see if anyone might be interested in doing it.

“We are hoping to be able to fill those vacancies and have some alternates as well,” Rhodes said.

They have to have two people of opposite political parties. They can be one Republican and one Democrat or a non-partisan and one of the other party. They just cannot have two of the same party sitting next to each other at the polling place, officials said.

Rhodes said there are Libertarians, Constitution Party members and others as well as non-partisans that could fill in.

“Both parties nominated non-partisans to fill in this time,” Rhodes said. “They normally don’t, but to make up their differences they were going with the non-partisans as well.”

The county needs 318 poll workers to carry out the election.

Rhodes said they are still looking for people to fill positions as he believes they will have some listed poll workers who will drop out before the election.

In the past, personnel from the clerk’s office have filled in for absent poll workers.

Commissioners Jimmy Colombo and Blair Couch approved the lists. Commissioner Robert Tebay was absent Monday.

In other business, a public hearing was held on the status of 275 Bethel Road, Parkersburg. The owner was previously given 60 days to do some work to clean up the property.

Officials said there are places in the house on the property where rain water is getting in and more.

The owner appeared before the commission and said he has been prevented from going inside by orders from the county posted on the property. He said he was supposed to get a waiver that would allow him and others to go into the structure, but he had not received it yet. However, he said he made some progress on the outside of the house.

Officials signed a waiver while he was there and gave him 30 days to “make progress” on the property. They will meet again next month to see what has been done.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com