(The Center Square) – Republicans want to increase the pay for poll workers and say the state has plenty of federal dollars to cover the increased cost.
According to a Republican news release, most poll workers generally receive about $200 for a 15-hour day, an hourly pay rate of $13.33, and have received the same compensation since 2001. The state’s minimum wage will increase to $15 per hour by 2024.
“Poll workers should be given a supplemental payment of $200 for a full day’s work, which would increase their total pay to $400,” Sen. Kristin Corrado, R-Totowa, told The Center Square.
“This increase was outlined in A-5842, a bill that passed both houses in June 2021 with overwhelming support from both parties,” Corrado added. “The increase in pay for poll workers could easily be funded with some of the $6 billion in federal aid that Gov. [Phil] Murphy is sitting on.”
The state received more than $6 billion in federal money from the American Rescue Plan (ARP). Proponents say increasing pay will help the state overcome its shortage of poll workers.
“Think about all of the businesses that are starting to hire seasonal workers for the holidays,” Christopher DePhillips, R-Wyckoff, said in a statement.
“Why would any individual take a job as a poll worker over a seasonal job elsewhere if we are paying them the same salary as we did in 2001?” DePhillips added. “The only way to attract more people is to provide them with a competitive wage.”
A spokesperson for Murphy, a Democrat, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Center Square.