Final training classes come this week for poll workers in Putnam County

PUTNAM COUNTY, W.Va. — Alternate poll workers are still being sought in Putnam County with three weeks to go until the June 9th primary election.

“As of right now, we have every position full,” Brian Wood, county clerk in Putnam County, told 580-WCHS on Monday morning.

“With that said, we’re always taking names and numbers because I can assure you that there will be some that drop off (before Election Day).”

To be prepared, he said they were still recruiting alternates to work polls.

“Even though we’re full, we’ll take alternates, so that way on Election Day we can have that alternate go to whatever precinct we’re shorthanded on,” Wood said.

This year, Wood said some new poll workers were signed on to work polls which will include safety measures to limit coronavirus spread.

Wood said the newbies had stepped up to replace older people and others at higher risk of COVID-19 who had previously been regular pollworkers.

In many cases, “They let me know ahead of time and said, ‘I’m just a little bit uncomfortable with this,’ and we hope to get them back in the future,” Wood said.

The last poll worker training classes in Putnam County were scheduled for this Wednesday, May 20 at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

More information was available on the Putnam County Clerk website.

In-person early voting begins next Wednesday, May 27.

Lighter poll traffic was expected this year during early voting and on Election Day.

As of last Friday, Wood said more than 8,710 registered voters in Putnam County had requested absentee ballots which are an option for all voters this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Typically, Putnam County processes about 300 absentee ballots per election.

During the last presidential primary, total voter turnout in Putnam County was 15,968.