SECTION 230:10-3-28.1. Special-purpose precinct workers

(a)   The County Election Board Secretary is authorized to employ special-purpose precinct workers as needed for any county, school district, municipal, or other local election. [26:2-128.2] The County Election Board Secretary may employ special-purpose precinct workers to assist the Inspector, Judge, and Clerk with specific tasks, but they are not members of the Precinct Election Board and shall not perform any other duties assigned to the Inspector, Judge, or Clerk. Employment of special-purpose precinct workers usually shall be reserved for elections at which a large turnout is anticipated or at which an unusually large number of voters may need to update their voter registrations or vote provisionally. Only one special-purpose precinct worker may be assigned to a precinct, but that person may serve as both a Registration Official and as a Provisional Voting Officer. Special-purpose precinct workers may be employed for the following purposes only.

(1)   Registration Officials. A Registration Official is a special-purpose precinct worker employed to help voters fill out new Oklahoma Voter Registration Application forms needed to correct certain deficiencies in their voter registration records. The specific duties of a Registration Official are outlined in 230:35-5-60. When a Registration Official is not employed, the duties are performed by the Judge as part of the regular election duties without additional compensation.

(2)   Provisional Voting Officers. A Provisional Voting Officer is a special-purpose precinct worker employed to help voters cast provisional ballots. The specific duties of the Provisional Voting Officer are outlined in 230:35-5-177. When a Provisional Voting Officer is not employed, the duties are performed by the Inspector as part of the regular election duties without additional compensation.

(b)   Special-purpose precinct workers shall be compensated at the same rate as the Judge and Clerk. [26:2-128.2] Compensation for special-purpose precinct workers shall be included on the Pre-Election Expense Claim for the election. The State Election Board shall pay for the compensation of special-purpose precinct workers only when such payment is authorized by the Secretary of the State Election Board in advance of the election. The Secretary of the State Election Board may establish a maximum number of special-purpose precinct workers in each county for which the State Election Board shall pay. The maximum number of state-funded special-purpose precinct workers per county shall be based on a percentage of the number of precincts in each county. The percentage used may change from election to election depending upon the availability of state funds for this purpose. The Secretary of the State Election Board shall notify the County Election Board Secretary of the maximum number of state-funded special-purpose precinct workers authorized for the county prior to the election. The County Election Board Secretary may employ other special-purpose precinct workers in addition to those funded by the State Election Board if sufficient funds are available to cover the expense.

[Source: Added at 21 Ok Reg 545, eff 2-3-04 (emergency); Added at 22 Ok Reg 1855, eff 7-1-05; Amended at 23 Ok Reg 1274, eff 7-1-06]