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Board of Canvassers seeks $25-per-session increase for wardens and clerks to aid recruitment
Summary
Paul Carmichael, a board member, asked the budget board to add $25 per session for wardens and clerks to better recruit and retain poll workers; he estimated the change would cost roughly $550 per election cycle for 11 precincts.
Paul Carmichael, a member of the Board of Canvassers, asked the budget board to increase pay for wardens and clerks by $25 per session, arguing the modest bump would help recruit and retain poll workers and reflect the supervisors’ responsibilities.
“...I think a little bit more particularly for the wardens and clerks, would help with that,” Paul Carmichael said, requesting the additional stipend and providing a rough cost estimate. He told the board Lincoln has 11 precincts and that an added $25 per election-day session for each precinct’s warden and clerk would cost about $550 per election. Carmichael said the pay increase would place local pay nearer the top third of statewide comparators for similar roles and help maintain experienced personnel for long election days that at times extend until late at night.
Board members discussed the differing workloads for wardens and supervisors: wardens and clerks often arrive early, oversee poll operation and paperwork, and can remain until after midnight; supervisors’ duties are more limited to voter check-in. Budget-board members suggested confirming statutory precinct requirements and coordinating on whether the town clerk’s budget or another line should carry the increase—Carmichael said he had already discussed the proposal with the town clerk.
The board did not take a vote on the pay request during the meeting and asked to collect comparative data and statutory requirements before deciding whether to recommend the increase.
