The November General Election is fast approaching.  But it's not the candidates that are making the most headlines.  It's the poll workers.  Some don't want to do that job anymore...and for a very disturbing reason.

A news release issued by the Crawford County Board of Elections listed 13 municipalities that had a significant number of poll workers reporting that they were not coming back.  The news release did not explain why.  But County Commissioner John Christopher Soff hit the nail on the head. He says poll workers have been bearing the brunt of today's hostile political climate.

"You wouldn't think of this some years ago but in today's world a voter will walk in and they'll yell at a poll worker for something they don't like on the national level, let's say.  And it's not at all that poll worker's fault,” says Soff.

There's many reasons people may not want to work the polls.  There's little pay.  There's long hours. There's worries about the spread of COVID-19.  However, the Crawford County Election Board never thought rudeness would be a reason for a poll worker shortage.

"Poll workers have told us they're being screamed at and it's a shame.  You generally have an older population who have maybe been able to spend the time working the polls and they felt they just can't do it any more being treated the way they have been treated by several voters,” says Soff.

The news release reminded the public that the November Election cannot happen if a shortage of poll workers continues. 

"But it's true," says Soff.  If we don't have poll workers then we cannot conduct an election.  It's pretty simple."

This just in. Commissioner Soff says the news release is doing its job.  People have come forward to fill most of the open slots. However, the board can still use 8 to 10 more people in the cities of Meadville and Titusville. So, it looks like a lack of poll workers will not hamper the upcoming election in Crawford County.

Commissioner Soff says some high school students have stepped forward to become poll workers.  That is a big reason why the empty slots have been filled.