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WHY TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POLL WORKERS WON’T RETURN THIS NOVEMBER
By Matt Loffman, @mattloff
Politics Producer
By Ian Couzens, @iancouzenz
Associate Producer, Politics
As autumn settles in and more political yard signs pop up, we’re reminded that Election Day 2022 is less than two months away.
And yet, the U.S. faces a shortage of poll workers – a mainstay of the democratic process.
It takes more than a million people working the polls to make elections run smoothly in this country, and a majority of them are over 60 years old. However, a litany of factors – retirements, safety concerns over COVID, a rise in intimidating or violent threats to poll workers themselves – have made recruitment efforts more difficult this year, throughout the primaries and the lead-up to the midterms. Tens of thousands of poll workers have left the role over the past several election cycles.
The PBS NewsHour spoke with several poll workers about some of the challenges they face while doing their jobs.
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Abhinand Keshamouni, a 19-year-old from Canton, Michigan, decided he wanted to become a poll worker in 2020, during the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspired by a TV ad, Keshamouni said he signed up because he was “itching to do something” because he felt stuck at home.
“I was watching everything that was happening around us in the country and just turmoil everywhere.”
For his first assignment at a polling location, he was assigned as an election poll inspector (EPI) during Michigan’s presidential primary. But when he showed up, he was the only person working at that precinct. He called up Detroit officials, but was told there was no one else they could send. In the end, poll workers from nearby precincts came to help out.
“But November 2020 was a beast, like a different animal,” he said. “It was just people coming in and coming out; it was just hectic.”
After that election, the state recruited more workers to handle this year’s midterms. But he said the city didn’t ultimately open additional polling stations, Keshamouni said.
While some of his co-workers have decided to not return for the 2022 cycle, he said making sure poll workers show up to make the process as smooth as possible is still a priority.
“I realize not everyone's situation is the same as mine and has the privilege to have the time to go and do it. But if you do, it is such a huge help to helping those people that can't get to the polls on a timely manner or just don't have enough hours in the day to wait in line to vote. At the end of the day, it's those people we are trying to get to vote more and get to the polls more. Giving everybody a say – no matter what their opinion is – is our No. 1 priority,” he said.
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THE NEXT JAN. 6 HEARING HAS BEEN POSTPONED
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Photo by Doug Mills via Reuters
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Joshua Barajas, @Josh_Barrage
Senior Editor, Digital
And just like that … the next Jan. 6 hearing has been postponed.
The hearing planned for Wednesday has been postponed to a date that has yet to be determined, the panel said in a statement Tuesday.
Why? The panel cited Hurricane Ian.
“In light of Hurricane Ian bearing down on parts of Florida, we have decided to postpone tomorrow’s proceedings. We’re praying for the safety of all those in the storm’s path,” chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., and vice chair Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., said in a joint statement.
The committee has postponed a hearing before. And as the investigation into the Capitol attack continues, and more information comes to light, things have been subject to change when it comes to the proceedings.
The panel said it will announce a new date soon. For the latest and greatest on the Jan. 6 committee’s moves, check out this page. We will update the date and time once it’s confirmed by the committee.
And as a reminder: This Congress has just over three months left. Meaning, once this session ends, the Jan. 6 panel will as well.
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#POLITICSTRIVIA
By Ali Schmitz, @SchmitzMedia
Politics Producer
As we get closer to Election Day, the NewsHour has been taking a closer look at some key numbers before people head to the polls.
For instance, 2022 is a record-setting year for women who are major party candidates in governors’ and state legislature races.
Our question: How many women are major party nominees for governor this year?
Send your answers to [email protected] or tweet using #PoliticsTrivia. The first correct answers will earn a shout-out next week.
Last week, we asked: By November’s general election, how many states will allow for same-day voter registration?
The answer: 22. This would include Virginia, which has a new law going into effect on Oct. 1. (And this would exclude Washington, D.C., since it’s not a state.)
Congratulations to our winner: Petti Van Rekom!
Thank you all for reading and watching. We’ll drop into your inbox next week.
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Watch: Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a member on the Jan. 6 panel, discusses 
One Big Question: With about six weeks until the election, have the Jan. 6 hearings been affecting what voters think about? NPR’s Tamara Keith and Amy Walter of the Cook Political Report 
A Closer Look: As part of our ongoing effort to examine some of the most competitive races around the country, we take a look at Florida’s 
Perspectives: What is the current state of Republican politics? New York Times columnist David Brooks and Washington Post columnist Karen Tumulty 
