Amos

MARIETTA — A $1 million initiative to recruit and train another 40,000 poll workers for the November general election in Ohio was announced on Monday by the secretary of state.

Directive 2026-25 updates requirements and resources to ensure poll workers are prepared to serve voters professionally, efficiently and in accordance with Ohio law, Secretary of State Frank LaRose said. Poll workers assist voters, resolve issues at polling locations and protect the integrity of the process.

The office of the secretary of state will provide $1 million to county election boards with allocations based on the number of registered voters in the county, each receiving a minimum of $1,000. The funding is intended only for recruitment and training.

The issue is not a problem getting poll workers, Mandy Amos, director of the Washington County Board of Election, said.

Election officials are anticipating more poll workers are going to be needed because the race for governor is expected to draw a larger volume of voters on election day, Amos said. In the race for governor, Republican Vivek Ramaswamy is running against the Democrat Amy Acton.

“They are expecting a lot of voter turnout this year,” Amos said.

More poll workers will be needed to make it more efficient for the voters at the polls, Amos said.

Washington County has 50 precincts and at least two poll workers per precinct are needed, however, the estimate is that up to 30% more poll workers could be needed for the mid-term election, she said.

The directive requires boards of elections to recruit and train at least 15% more poll workers than the statutory minimum and recommends a goal of a 30% reserve pool in anticipation of the higher turnout and to ensure coverage in the event of cancellations, illness or other last-minute needs on election day.

Poll workers regardless of experience must receive updated training before the general election. Required training topics include voter photo ID procedures, provisional voting, polling location setup and closing procedures, required signage, de-escalation and conflict resolution, election integrity and security and proper polling place management.

The state also will provide recruitment strategies, marketing resources, the PEO Handbook, Quick Reference Guide, and access to the Ohio Poll Worker training module to support both training completion and assignment tracking.

“Successful elections begin long before election day,” LaRose said. “By investing in recruitment and training now, we are helping our counties build strong, prepared teams that can serve voters with confidence and professionalism.”

Funding can be used for recruitment advertising, training facility rentals, external trainers or contractors for training-related services and printing or reproduction of training materials. For more information on becoming a poll worker, contact the board of elections or go to OhioSoS.gov/BeAPollWorker.