Maricopa County elections officials hiring about 3,000 temporary workers for the general election

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) -- The General Election is less than two months away and the Maricopa County Elections Department wants to fill about 3,000 temporary positions.

Jobs range from poll workers to warehouse workers, truck drivers and ballot processors, and more. Megan Gilbertson with the department says every temporary position has job-specific and unique training with varying commitment options.

Pay starts at minimum wage for some, Gilbertson tells Arizona’s Family, and goes up to $19 to $20 an hour depending on the position. There was a $1,000 bonus offered for those who could work 240 hours between the primary and general elections.

This week at the elections warehouse, workers were making sure the printers were outfitted and ready to print your ballot. It’s just an example of the help that’s needed. “If you think about a voting location and everything that goes into it, they need power cords, they need chairs, they need printers, they need ballot paper,” Gilbertson said. “There are so many items. And so we have workers that come in, and they build those kits to make sure every voting location has everything they need.”

“It takes an entire community in order to run elections. In Maricopa County, we are the second largest voting jurisdiction in the country and we really rely on community members, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, to come in and work elections,” Gilbertson said.

For some, working elections is a chance to get a firsthand look at the election process and get involved in the community. Rosetta Walker, who lives in the Valley, has been a poll worker in the area for about 20 years. She is typically stationed at one of the voting centers at Arizona State University.

Walker likes it because she gets to meet a whole new batch of people every year, making new friends and connections. “It’s very invigorating being around the young people because you get to see the younger generation,” she said. “Some of them are first-time voters, 18 years old.” Walker says there are also staff and faculty who are able to cast their ballot at their workplace.

If you’d like to get involved, click here. Election Day is November 7th.

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