Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Marshall County officials discuss raising technician pay and shifting early-loading to hourly to shore up election staffing
Loading...
Summary
Marshall County election officials reviewed poll-worker and technician pay, discussed moving early-loading from per diem to hourly, and flagged the need for job descriptions to improve recruitment and continuity.
Marshall County election officials discussed increasing pay for election technicians and clarifying how early-loading and other election duties are paid, saying higher wages and clearer job descriptions may be needed to retain and recruit skilled workers.
Staff said technicians previously earned about $14 per hour and were raised to $18 for the most recent election; officials discussed a possible target of $25 per hour for technicians with sustained machine and troubleshooting responsibilities. One member said technicians must have "working knowledge of the machines," problem-solving ability and people skills that cannot be gained in a single day.
Officials also debated whether early-loading compensation should be paid hourly rather than as a per-diem. One member said the county has historically paid early-loading as a per-diem but that hourly pay could be fairer when employees work extended or interrupted shifts. The group noted payroll classification is typically governed by job descriptions, and election workers currently lack standardized job descriptions tied to county classifications.
The board discussed differences in pay between partisan judges and inspectors. An official said judges representing the county's Democratic party have additional evening return responsibilities, which has been treated as a higher pay rate in some counties. The discussion referenced past adjustments in per-person payments and a reduction in the gap between partisan judge pay levels in the most recent adjustment. Board members said the pay differential is rooted in state practice and Secretary of State guidance about opposing-party attendance at certain stages of vote handling.
Members expressed broad support for raising technician pay and for moving toward hourly pay for some tasks, but they did not take a formal vote. One official said they will consult payroll and other counties to determine statutory and classification constraints, then return with recommendations. The board asked staff to proceed with discretion on hourly versus per-diem decisions and to report any statutory limits they find.
No binding action was recorded; members agreed to bring proposed pay and classification updates back to the board and to factor any changes into the upcoming budget submission.
