Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024
Scope of Rules
These rules will set forth the procedures for coordinating poll
worker training in the 75 counties in the state. These rules are in addition to
and not a substitute for the laws of the State of Arkansas.
§ 200
Definitions
(a)
Election
Official - a person who is a member of the county board of
election commissioners or a person who is a poll worker designated by a county
board of election commissioners to be an election clerk, election judge, or
election sheriff1
(b)
Polling Site - a
location selected by the county board of election commissioners where votes are
cast.2
(c)
Poll Worker - an
election official designated by the county board of election commissioners to
be an election clerk, election judge or election sheriff at a polling
site.
(d) Precinct - a geographical
area the boundaries of which are determined by a county board of election
commissioners in order to facilitate voting by the registered voters from that
geographical area.
(e)
Primary Election - any election held to select the
nominees of a political party for election at any general or special election
in this state.
§
201
Qualifications of Election Officials Designated as Poll
Workers
The qualifications4 determined by the
General Assembly5 of an election official designated
by the county board of election commissioners to serve as a poll worker are as
follows:
1) Must be a qualified
elector of this state;
2) Must be
able to read and write the English language;
3) Must be a resident of the precinct in
which he or she serves at the time of his or her appointment, unless the county
board determines unanimously that it is impossible to obtain qualified poll
workers from the precinct, in which case, the poll worker shall be a qualified
county resident;
4) Must not have
been found guilty or pled guilty or nolo contendere to the violation of any
election law of this state;
5) Must
not be a paid employee of any political party;
6) Must not be a paid employee of any person
running for any office on the county's ballot;
7) Must not be a candidate for any office to
be filled at an election while serving as a poll worker; and
8) Must not be married to or related within
the second degree of consanguinity to any candidate running for office in the
current election if objection to the service is made to the county board of
election commissioners within ten (10) calendar days after the posting of the
list of officials.
§
202
Required Training
Each county board of election commissioners shall:
1) Designate at least two (2) qualified
electors of the county to attend training conducted by the State Board of
Election Commissioners before the regularly scheduled preferential primary
election for the purpose of being certified by the State Board as poll worker
trainers for the county. Each designee shall attend either a comprehensive
training program conducted by the State Board of Election Commissioners before
the regularly scheduled preferential primary election or an advanced training
program conducted by the State Board of Election Commissioners after each
regular legislative session. Any designee who has not served as a certified
poll worker trainer during the previous two (2) preferential primary and
general elections and previously attended the comprehensive training program
conducted by the State Board of Election Commissioners must attend the
comprehensive training program;
2)
Ensure that all poll workers at each polling site for a regularly scheduled
election attended election training conducted locally by State Board-certified
trainers and coordinated by the State Board prior to each regularly scheduled
preferential primary election;6 and
3) Ensure that at least one (1) poll worker
at each polling site attended election training coordinated by the State Board
within twelve (12) months prior to any regularly scheduled
election.7
§ 203
Certification and
Compensation of Poll Worker Trainers
Upon successful completion of training conducted by the State
Board of Election Commissioners:
1)
Certification, valid for a period of two (2) years, shall be issued by the
State Board to each designated trainee who successfully completes the training
program;
2) A maximum of two (2)
certified trainers per county are eligible to receive $100 each, plus mileage
reimbursement at the rate established for state employees by state travel
regulations;
3) The two (2)
certified trainers per county are eligible to receive an additional $50 each
per training session up to a maximum of two (2) sessions each for conducting
poll worker training locally before the preferential primary election;
and
4) Certified trainers'
compensation will be paid by the State Board to the County Treasurer upon
receipt of the reporting form approved and provided by the State Board to the
county for that purpose.
Certification and compensation of additional county trainers will
be considered by the State Board on a case by case basis based upon need and
availability of sufficient resources and funding.
§ 204
Compensation for Poll Worker
Training Attendance
A poll worker who attends training conducted by a State
Board-certified trainer and who works the preferential primary election
immediately following the training is eligible to receive a maximum $25
additional one-time payment.8
A county is eligible to receive compensation for poll worker
training attendance up to a maximum of six (6) eligible poll workers per
precinct per polling site per preferential primary election.
Poll worker compensation will be paid by the State Board to the
County Treasurer upon receipt of suitable supporting documentation from the
county, as determined by the State Board.
§ 205
Noncompliance
The State Board may withhold funding for poll worker training
attendance from any county that fails to comply with the rules and guidelines
developed by the State Board for the administration of poll worker training,
until all requirements are met to the satisfaction of the State Board.
9
§ 206
Training Materials
The State Board of Election Commissioners will provide training
materials for local poll worker training to each of the seventy-five (75)
counties.
Poll worker training shall be conducted only by State
Board-certified trainers using materials provided by the State Board. Any
exception must be by prior written request to the State Board with prior
written approval by the State Board. Approval by the State Board is not
required for materials related to voting system training or supplemental
procedures not addressed by materials provided by the State Board.
1 A.C.A. §
7-1-101
2A.C.A. §
7-1-101
3A.C.A. §
7-1-101
4 A.C.A. §
7-4-109
5Art 3, §
10 of the Arkansas Constitution,
as amended by Amendment 85
6A.C.A. §§
7-4-107(b)(2);
7-4-109(e)(1)
as amended by Act 1457 of 2013
7A.C.A. §
7-4-107(b)(2)
8A.C.A. §
7-4-109(e)(2)
9A.C.A. §
7-7-201(b)(3)
