With the New Hampshire primary a month away, many city and town clerks throughout the Monadnock Region are looking for volunteers to help at the polls.
Keene City Clerk Patty Little says she needs 150 volunteers across all five wards.
The primary will be held on Sept. 10 and the general election is on Nov. 5. Since this is a presidential election year, turnout is expected to be high.
“They can be greeters, people who are interacting very quickly with voters standing in line, sort of triaging them, finding out if they are registered or not and directing them on where they should go,” she said.
“We also look for people to help with voter registration, changing party affiliations, reconciling the paper checklist that we have to maintain. There are even positions the day after the election. The state gives us 48 hours to complete paperwork, and we need people to help with that.”
Another 75 paid personnel or elected officials also help with the election, bringing the entire election workforce in Keene to 225, she said. Most of the volunteer shifts last three hours.
Little is asking that people wishing to volunteer for the primary fill out a form available on the city’s website — www.KeeneNH.gov — no later than Aug. 26 to allow time for training. Sign-ups for the general election will continue through October.
People can volunteer for either or both.
“Our volunteers have really stepped up to the plate over the years,” Little said.
“Elections are a very serious responsibility, and with all the steps we take to ensure elections run reliably, volunteers play a key role for us. We enjoy working with them, and we appreciate their willingness to help on such an important day.”
Shana Eichner, the town clerk in Rindge, said she also relies on volunteers on election day, as many as 28 helping at the Rindge Memorial School polling place.
“We have a couple positions that haven’t been filled yet but we have no doubt that we will be able to get them filled,” she said. “Our town is very, very helpful when it comes to volunteering for elections.”
The N.H. Secretary of State’s office put up a post on social media recently encouraging people to volunteer at the polls and including a link where people can get the name, address and phone number for their town clerk’s office — app.sos.nh.gov/clerkinformation. Also included is a link to a video showing tasks performed by poll workers.
Voter turnout in New Hampshire is higher than most states. In the 2020 presidential election, the state’s turnout figure, according to the Secretary of State’s office, was 72.2 percent, third in the nation.
Rick Green can be reached at 352-1234 X1435 or RGreen@KeeneSentinel.com
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