Lansing still needs up to 100 poll workers to staff the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election, City Clerk Chris Swope said, warning that Michigan's expanded early voting period is stretching local offices thin.

Swope told WKAR on Tuesday, Aug. 11, that the city has about 475 shifts to cover between early voting and Election Day. So far, roughly 350 have been filled.

"We had about 475 shifts," Swope said. "And because we have early voting and early AV processing, we filled that with about 350 people."

The gap is driven largely by Michigan's nine-day early voting period, a statewide requirement voters approved as Proposal 2 in 2022. For the November general election, early voting runs from Saturday, Oct. 24 through Sunday, Nov. 1. That means clerks need workers not just on Election Day but across more than a week of in-person voting, ballot processing and equipment operation.

The demand showed up in August. During the primary, early voting turnout jumped 88.6% over 2024, with 138,680 voters casting ballots at early voting sites statewide, according to the Michigan Secretary of State's office. Ingham County's primary featured a 22-inch, front-and-back ballot that slowed tabulation and required more trained hands.

Swope said Lansing particularly needs Republican poll workers. Michigan law requires workers to be assigned by party, and the city has more registered Democrats.

County clerk sees same challenge

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, who is also a Democratic candidate for secretary of state, said local city and township clerks hire and train their own workers independently. That keeps elections locally run but puts the recruiting burden on each community. Deputy Secretary of State Aghogho Edevbie said nearly 2,000 poll workers participated in the August primary statewide, but clerks continue to face staffing challenges.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in grant money on the Michigan Chamber Foundation's Support MI Clerks campaign to recruit and train paid workers. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer designated Tuesday, Aug. 11, as "Poll Worker Recruitment Day."

How to sign up

Poll workers are paid. The Support MI Clerks campaign advertises $175 to $300 per day; pay varies by jurisdiction. Workers must be at least 16 years old, and those 18 and older must be registered Michigan voters. Residents can serve in any jurisdiction, not just their own.

To sign up, Lansing-area residents can contact the Lansing City Clerk's office directly, fill out the state's Democracy MVP interest form, or visit the Support MI Clerks page.

In 2020, 65% of Michigan's poll workers were 61 or older, and nearly a third were at least in their 70s. Thousands have not returned, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Swope and other clerks warn that if the gaps aren't filled, voters could face longer lines, delays in ID checks and slower vote counting on Tuesday, Nov. 3.