While Butler County voters mull over what candidates to select in the Nov. 4 election, the county election bureau prepares poll workers for that long day.

Many poll workers will put in a 16-hour shift to help ensure that Election Day runs smoothly.

Before Nov. 4 arrives, poll workers already will have logged hours of training.

Returning workers must take a two-hour refresher class by the elections bureau. Neophytes attend a three-hour session.

One class will be in Cranberry Township while six others will be at Butler County Community College.

Shari Brewer, director of the county elections bureau, said there is no shortage of poll workers for the election.

“At this point, we’re good,” she said.

Each of the county’s precincts must have at least three poll workers: a judge of election, a majority inspector and a minority inspector.

All three jobs are elected posts. The majority inspector is the one who received the most votes to attain that post.

The elections bureau relies on prior elections to determine how many workers are needed in each precinct.

The countywide average is five workers. Brewer said for this election, the largest number at a precinct will be eight.

In a presidential election, that number can rise to 12.

Brewer provides each judge of election with a list of potential workers, so any unplanned vacancies can be filled before the election.

She said a judge would know the people in that precinct, so that person is the most qualified to select a new worker.

Brewer said the preference is to man each precinct with workers living there, but the priority is having a sufficient number of people at each polling place.

“We pull from wherever,” she said.

A poll worker must be a registered voter in this county.

The judge of election is paid $155, the inspectors $150 and poll workers $130.

On Election Day, workers are due at 6 a.m. since polls open an hour later.

Before the iVotronic electronic voting machines are set up, they must be checked for seals. Once those seals are removed, the machines are set up for voting.

Although a fold-up ramp is available to be placed over steps to provide handicap-accessibility, all the precincts either have ramps or are at ground level, Brewer said.

Once the polls open, workers are required to enforce guidelines on who is allowed inside polling places.

Media and those campaigning for political candidates are not permitted closer than 10 feet from the entrance to the room where voting occurs.

Voters waiting to cast a ballot, people waiting for voters, poll watchers and constables are allowed in the room.

However, only the poll workers, people in the process of voting and county rovers are permitted in the private area by the machines.

Poll workers also have to determine if a person is eligible to cast a provisional (paper) ballot.

Among the reasons to be given a provisional ballot is a person recently moved and didn’t change the address on the voter registration.

Provisional ballots also are used for people whose voter eligibility cannot be verified.

“That’s just a safety net for poll workers,” Brewer said.

The elections bureau goes through the provisional ballots after the election to ensure they can be validated.

“Sometimes they count,” Brewer said. “Sometimes they don’t.”

Workers must cancel a ballot for various reasons, including a voter leaving before casting it.

Emergency ballots are another category allowing the use of paper ballots.

These ballots may be used when half the voting machines are not functioning, the polling place is locked when polls are due to be open or the machines cannot be found.

If voters are in line at the 8 p.m. closing time, they will be permitted to cast ballots.

Once polls are closed, the workers divide into two teams.

The first closes the machines and prints the final results tapes. New seals are placed on the machines before they’re returned.

The second team tallies absentee ballots, removes the signs and processes the paperwork.