Horry County needs poll workers (also called Election workers). To learn more about the job, Barbara Sloan of the HCDP Voter Protection Committee interviewed Shelley Ridout, a long-time Democratic poll manager and poll clerk, for more information. The interview was edited and condensed for readability.
Barbara: Hi, Shelley, thanks so much for meeting with me. Please tell me about your background and why you work at the polls during elections.
Shelley: I am a retired Horry County librarian and a former branch manager at the North Myrtle Beach branch of Horry County Memorial Library. I have lived in Horry County since the early 1970s.
I first started working as a poll manager to help my partner at Nixon’s Crossroads precinct in the mid-1990s. But both my parents were civic-minded, and my father was a WWII veteran. My mother also worked as a poll worker. I was a clerk for many years but now I am a poll manager again.
Barbara: What is it like to work at the polls?
Shelley: Poll work is always a good place to get to see neighbors or people I knew by sight, and since I was a floater, I got to meet a lot of interesting and nice people who were used to working at the polls where I may have been just that one time.
Barbara: What duties do the poll clerk and the poll manager fulfill?
Shelley: Poll work has two positions: poll clerk and poll manager. Poll clerks are responsible for the entire polling site, including set up, break down, and transporting secured ballots and other materials to and from the Horry County Election Commission in Conway. I supervised and assisted poll managers.
Poll clerks are responsible for sorting out voter names that don’t appear on the rolls or are listed in the wrong precinct and other issues. They have extra training to help them fulfill their duties.
Poll managers meet and greet voters and assist with ballots and other duties. They are the front-line people you meet when you enter the precinct polling place.
All poll workers are trained before every election, online or in person. Some older poll workers left when the process became computerized. Most are retirees because they have the time to do this. Some take off work to work the polls, as I did.
Barbara: How many people come through the polls in a general election?
Shelley: The precincts I have worked on average about 500 plus voters during a presidential election. Some larger precincts may see more voters. Precincts are assigned poll workers and voting machines consistent with the number of voters expected.
We’ve always had great support from election commission staff and from members of the board, who assist on election days.
Barbara: Are poll workers paid for their time? What qualifications must they have?
Shelley: Poll workers are paid for training and work time. Poll workers must meet the following qualifications:
- Be a registered voter in Horry County
- Be able to attend a poll manager training class in person (2-3 hours) or complete the online poll manager training
- Be prepared to work the entire election day, from 6:15AM until 7:30PM
- Be nonpartisan on election day
Barbara: Thanks for all this information. It was very helpful.
Shelley: It was a pleasure. I look forward to election day.
To apply to work the polls, contact the county Office of Voter Registration and Elections at (843)915-5440.
For more information, go to Voters Registrations & Elections page on the Horry County Government website or the Poll Managers page on the State Election Commission website here.
