After 17 years, Johnson County election workers are getting a pay raise to assist voters and staff polling sites in future elections.

Election clerks will now receive a $150 stipend per day, an increase from $110. The per-day stipend for supervising judges has been increased from $135 to $200 plus mileage for transporting election materials.

The compensation changes were unanimously approved on June 1 by the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners and became effective immediately. “The proposed increase is to acknowledge the importance of fair compensation for election workers and commit to providing them with just remuneration for their services,” Johnson County Election Commissioner Fred Sherman advised the board. “To our knowledge, the last modification to the Johnson County election worker pay structure was implemented in 2006.”

All election workers also are paid $25 for completing each session of training. That compensation remains unchanged.

The Election Office anticipates the need for approximately 300-400 election workers in the primary elections on Aug. 1. Additional election clerks/judges may be needed in the general election on Nov. 7.

Duties of election workers include verifying voter registration, issuing ballots and ensuring that voters receive the correct ballot, giving voting procedure instructions, operating voting equipment and maintaining an orderly flow at polling places.

The Election Office plans to have approximately six advance voting locations in Johnson County in the primary elections. The number of advanced polling sites is likely to change come November.

The 2023 elections involve local races in cities for council members and mayors, school districts, Johnson County Community College and Water District No. 1. Voter registration for the primary election ends at 5 p.m. July 11.

“Election workers perform a valuable community service by assisting fellow voters at polling sites and performing other duties at the election office,” Sherman said. “They are a critical part of the election process to ensure the conduct of elections is accurate and fair.”

Kansas law requires training of all election workers. Training for Johnson County poll workers begins the month prior to each election. For the primary election, training begins after the Fourth of July holiday. Training sessions will be offered multiple times, including evening and weekend options.

New election workers are required to attend two in-person training sessions. The first is a three-hour, instructor-led classroom session. The second is a hands-on session where workers practice on all election day equipment, including the touchscreen voting machines used in Johnson County elections.

Election workers must be a resident Johnson County, and:

• Must be registered to vote at their current address
• Complete mandatory election worker training
• Be available for the complete day on election day

Residents can get more information or apply to become an election worker on the Johnson County Election Office website at jocoelection.org/election-workers or call 913-715-6836.

More information about the 2023 elections is available at jocoelection.org.