Young people could help Maryland meet the need for election judges

With the election less than 80 days away, the state is still dealing with a shortage of poll workers.

David Garreis, the president of the Maryland Association of Election Officials (MAEO), said the state still needs about 2,000 poll workers.

JUDGES.

ITS ALWAYS IMPORTANTBUT THIS YEAR THERE ISCRITICAL NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS.STEPPING UP IS WMAR 2 NEWS RASTRICKLAND LIVE AT CITY BOARDOF ELECTIONS.

AND RAY,ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE CALLINGTHIS A PROBLEM, BUT WELEARNING THEIR GETTING A BOOSFROM SOME LOCAL NON PROFITS.YEAH, AN ELECTION OFFICIALTOLD ME THIS WAS AN EMERGENCYSITUATION FOR MONTHS.

BUT HESAYS THE STATESWITCH TO VOTING CENTERSHELPED A LOT.

JUST NOT ENOUGHAND HE SAYS THE SHORTAGE ISSTILL A PROBLEMSOMETHIN G ASYOU MENTIONED SOME NON PROFITARE TRYING TO HELP RESOLVE.“Wewhere every day we are losingpeople” David Garreis is thepresident of the MarylandAssociation of ElectionOfficials.Hedirector at Anne ArundelCountycounty he says is losing about50 poll workers a week.

Mostof them over 60 and worriedabout COVID-19.“They donwant to risk their health,their welfare or even theirlives to serve as electionjudges” Garreis says this isa problem statewide.

And witha little MORE THAN two monthsaway from the election,he saysthe state still needs abouttwo thousand more pollworkers.

But Garriers saysthat number was in the tens ofthousands This was before thestate opted for voting centersover traditional neighborhoodbased precincts.“Itproblem , but itemergency situation like wehad when were trying tofulfill the mandate when wewere going to try and openevery polling place in thestate.“I know how importantit is to have those peoplethere so people can come outand vot” Lonnie Walker iswith JOY Baltimore.

Hisorganization helps registeryoung people to vote but henow working with other nprofits launching a socialmedia campaign to recruit thto become election judges“Right now we already have 8young people to becomeelection judges” Walker saysthe RECRUITING campaignofficially starts Friday butso far he says heyoung people are willing tostep up to the plate“2020 isan important election, so wewant to make sure it is assmooth as possible”AND SOMETHING THATTO NOTE, PEOPLE AS YOUNG AS 1CAN SERVE AS ELECTION JUDGES.THE STATE BOARD OF ELECTIONSIS URGING COUNTIES TO RECRUITTHEM TO HELP WITH THESHORTAGE.

SAYING THEY CAN GETCOMMUNITY SERVICE AND THECOUNTIES CAN GET MUCH NEEDEDJUDGES..

SOMETHING AN ELECTIONOFFICIAL CALLED A WIN WIN.LIVE IN DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE RAYSTRICKLAND WMAR-2NEWSA WOMAN IS DEAD AFTER A CARCRASHED INTO A LIGHT RAILTRAIN THIS MORNING, A