Carbon County poll workers get raise

Apr. 15—People who work at Carbon County's polling places will earn a little more money for supervising and running the primary and general elections this year.

The Carbon County commissioners and election board approved increases of $15 a day for all polling workers, which include judges and clerks.

The judges currently make $175 per day plus additional money for dropping off equipment and mileage, said Election Director Lisa Dart. Clerks or machine operators make $140 a day, she said.

The $15 a day bump will take them to $190 for judges and $155 for clerks, and all poll workers received $20 for participating in training, Dart said.

Commissioner Chair Wayne Nothstein said the workers were barely being compensated for the long work days with the elections. Poll workers arrive well before the polling places open at 7 a.m. to set up and stay well after the polls close at 8 p.m., he said.

Commissioner Chris Lukasevich said the increase puts them roughly in line with other base county workers at about $11.16 an hour.

Recusal

Lukasevich announced that he would recuse himself from the Election Board effective Friday through June 8 as he works with a current county row officer on her re-election bid for clerk of courts.

In his letter to the board and fellow commissioners, Lukasevich said that he is not required to step aside under the Election Code, but is doing so on his own as he sees this as "a significant expenditure of time, money and effort" on Tyra Boni's re-election bid.

Lukasevich could extend the recusal beyond the certification of the primary, depending on the results, he said.

The election board acknowledged and accepted the recusal.

Polling places

The election board also approved the consolidation of several voting districts for the both the primary and general elections, and one polling place change in Palmerton.

Consolidations will see the Kidder Twp. North and East Side Borough districts voting at Golden Oaks Village, and districts in Lehigh and Lausanne townships voting at the Lehigh Twp. Municipal Building on South Lehigh Gorge Drive.

Other consolidations include Franklin Twp., Harrity, Long Run and Independent at Franklin Twp. Fire Company on Fairyland Road; Jim Thorpe Wards 1 and 2 at Memorial Hall on East 10th Street, and Wards 3 and 4 at Dilligent Fire Company on Center Avenue; Lehighton Borough Wards 2 and 3, American Legion Post 314 on Veterans Avenue; and Mahoning Twp., Mahoning and Packerton/Jamestown at Orioles Community Center on Orioles Drive.

All other polling places will remain the same for the elections this year. The consolidations are due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The only other change in location is for Palmerton Middle District 48 and Palmerton West District 49 from the Palmerton Municipal Fire Department to the Palmerton Borough Garage, which the board approved.

Contact the writer: kmonitz@standardspeaker.com; 570-501-3589