O'ahu precincts facing staffing deficiency

Some O'ahu voters might be asked to volunteer as poll workers Saturday, to fill out precincts where this is a critical shortage of staff.

State elections chief Dwayne Yoshina said that O'ahu was more than 260 poll workers short at the start of this week. At 20 precincts, there was no designated precinct chairman or chairwoman — meaning the voting places might not have been able to open.

"The National Guard got us 160-plus volunteers, and we're staffing up with them," he said.

Every precinct will at least be able to open for the primary election, he said, but many will be short of workers.

"We're having training every night" and may train some workers on the job on Election Day, he said.

For voters, shortages of polling officials at specific locations could mean longer waits to vote.

Yoshina said Neighbor Island officials report they are "more or less fully staffed."

There are essentially four kinds of officials at polling places: precinct chairmen or chairwomen, who are paid $85 to $145 for the day, depending on precinct size; voter assistance workers, who make $80; precinct officials, who make $75; and poll watchers for the political parties, who work for free.

In an effort to recruit more workers, Yoshina said he has suggested to political parties that some of their poll watchers could do just as good a job while working as precinct workers — and make a few dollars at the same time.

Traditionally, 10 percent to 15 percent of the scheduled poll workers are no-shows on Election Day, and the precinct officials might ask voters to spend the day helping out — after they've finished voting.

Yoshina said the shortage of volunteers on Election Day is an issue nationwide.