NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With the 2024 presidential election approaching, the Davidson County Election Commission is preparing for the busy season ahead. Poll workers, crucial to the smooth running of elections, are undergoing training to ensure that all rules and laws are followed, creating a fair voting process.
Susan Howard, a veteran poll worker, knows there's a lot of excitement about for this presidential election.
"Every presidential election carries with it a level of excitement," Howard said.
Both Howard and Sid High will be among those assisting voters at the polls. Applications for poll workers in Davidson County will be accepted until Sept. 25.
Howard has been involved in the election process since 2008, starting in Ohio before relocating to Tennessee.
For High, this will be his first time serving as a poll worker for a presidential election.
"I heard the stories they were needing folks and I thought, I’m retired so I’ll just sign up to see how it works," High said.
A CBS News investigation revealed that over a third of top election officials nationwide have quit or retired since the 2020 presidential election. Some workers left due to threats, while others felt it was time for younger people to take over. Howard acknowledged the challenges but remains committed to the job.
"Technologically the process has changed, it's improved a lot, and some folks shared with me they don’t have the energy to fulfill the role like they used to," Howard said.
Howard admits to facing some tough questions from voters in recent years, but she doesn't mind.
"I do think the rhetoric in our country has brought attention, okay, is this a process working on behalf of the people," she said.
Jeff Roberts, the administrator of elections for Davidson County, noted that while he hasn’t seen issues with workers feeling unsafe, there has been a decline in older workers participating.
"Over the last three presidential elections, we have had an average poll worker age of 70-plus. We’re down closer to 60 now," Roberts said.
As the need for more poll workers grows, paid training is already underway in Davidson County.
You can find out more information, online.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com
I LOVE Forrest's stories on the history of NewsChannel 5 as we celebrate our 70th anniversary. Here's a story I wasn't familiar with until recently. Eudora Boxley had a live cooking show in the early days of the station. She may have been the first black on air at NewsChannel 5 and perhaps, one of the first African Americans to have a TV cooking show anywhere in the country. It wasn't until her grandson reached out to me that I even heard of Ms. Boxley. Thankfully, I was able to connect him with Forest to learn more about this great nugget in NewsChannel 5 history.
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