At a special meeting on Monday, Monroe County’s election board voted to recommend a change to county code that would increase the not-to-exceed amounts for Election Day poll workers.
It is the Monroe County commissioners, who would need to enact the change to the county code that sets Election Day poll worker pay.
But the election board will still have a role to play, even after county code is changed to specify a higher range, assuming that commissioners do increase the amounts. It’s the election board that specifies the exact amount, within the range spelled out in county code.
Commissioners are expected to consider the item at their work session on Wednesday. Commissioner work sessions start after the regular Wednesday morning meetings conclude, typically with a short break. The regular meetings start at 10 a.m. and typically wrap up in 90 minutes or less.
The current per diem pay for different jobs on Election Day breaks down like this: $165 for inspectors; $135 for judges; $135 for clerks; and $115 for sheriffs.
At its special meeting on Monday, the election board voted to recommend that the not-to-exceed amounts be changed so that the following pay schedule could be followed: $200 for inspectors; $175 for judges; $150 for clerks; and $120 for sheriffs. (A poll worker sheriff is not a sworn law enforcement officer.)
The code would not require a change, in order to pay poll worker sheriffs $120. The not-to-exceed amount already in the code for sheriffs is $125.
Inspectors are not being paid currently as much as they could be under county code. They receive $165, when the not-to-exceed amount specified in county code is $175.
The board has a hand in setting Election Day poll worker pay, but only within the constraints laid out by county commissioners in Chapter 287 of Monroe County code. It’s the commissioners who set the compensation of Election Day poll workers under state law.
Monroe County’s election board consists of Nicole Browne (elected county clerk), John Fernandez (Democratic Party appointee) and Judith Benckart (Republican Party appointee).
At Monday’s special meeting, chief deputy clerk Laura Wert served as Browne’s proxy.
The impetus for higher pay stems in part from the fact that it has not kept pace with cost of living increases, Wert said at Monday’s meeting.
Election workers have to arrive at the polls at 5 a.m. to open the polls at 6 a.m. Polls don’t close until 6 p.m. That makes for a day that lasts 14 to 15 hours. The current hourly equivalent of the per diem amounts works out to something around $10 an hour.
Election supervisor Kylie Moreland said that another reason for increasing Election Day worker pay is that absentee election workers were just recently given a pay increase. Election Day workers, many of whom do absentee work as well, see a disparity in the two types of pay. Moreland has reported at more than one meeting that some Election Day poll workers, who have worked Monroe County polls for years, have told her that they will not work this year without an increase in pay.
For absentee election workers, it’s the county council that sets their pay. In late March, the Monroe County council increased pay for the election workers who handle the various kinds of absentee voting—those who process mail-in absentee ballots, the “leads” who help train poll workers, and the workers who handle early in-person voting.
Here’s how the relevant part of Chapter 287 currently reads:
287-1. Per Diem, Additional Compensation, and Meal Allowance Payments to Election Workers
(A) For all elections except municipal elections held by towns under IC 3-10-7, subject to IC 3-6-6-28:
(1) Each Inspector, Judge, Poll Clerk, Assistant Poll Clerk, and Election Sheriff is entitled to a per diem payment in the following amounts, for the performance, on election day, of all the duties of office imposed on the person by IC Title:
Inspectors Not to exceed $175.00*;
Judges and Clerks Not to exceed $145.00*;
Sheriffs Not to exceed $125.00*.
…
* specific amount within range to be determined by Monroe County Election Board.
Here’s how the different poll worker jobs are described in Indiana’s 2024 Election Administrator’s Manual.
| PRECINCT OFFICER | DUTIES |
| INSPECTOR | Overall, in charge of the precinct. Receives election materials from the county election board. Sets up the polling place. Inspects the ballots. Performs initial processing of absentee ballot certifications. Tabulates ballots and returns election materials to the county election board. Requests Photo Identification from voters. |
| JUDGES | Judge of opposite political party to the inspector acts as check and balance to the inspector. Assists inspection of the ballots. Oversees deposit of ballots into the ballot boxes. Assists in the tabulation of the votes. Judge of opposite party accompanies precinct inspector when returning election materials. Requests Photo Identification from voters. |
| POLL CLERKS POLL CLERKS |
Verifies the registration status of voters. Oversees poll lists or books. Requests and explains voter identification number to voters. Assists in vote tabulation. Compares voter’s signature on poll list with registration signature, if available at polls. Requests Photo Identification from voters. |
| SHERIFFS | Monitors the polling location. Assists others in their duties. Maintains order at the polls. Upon direction from a precinct election officer, request assistance from a law enforcement officer if a violation of law or a breach of the peace within the polls or the chute has occurred or appears imminent. May leave polls to request assistance from a law enforcement officer if violation of law occurs or appears imminent. Requests Photo Identification from voters. |