Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Ron Turner is urging county voters to consider becoming poll workers for the Aug. 18 primary election and Nov. 3 general election. Turner says the county is facing a shortage of poll workers.

To be a poll worker, one must be a registered voter of Sarasota County (or be at least 16 years of age and pre-registered to vote); be able to read, write and speak English; complete state-mandated training prior to each election; and be willing to work a minimum of 14 hours on election day, from 6 a.m. until after the polls have closed (7 p.m.) and all tasks have been completed.

Poll workers are paid for training and for working at the polls. The total compensation ranges from $160 to $275, depending on the position worked. Turner notes that, for the upcoming elections, his office is also recruiting bilingual (English-Spanish) workers, as well as high school and college students, who meet the criteria listed above.

For more information, visit sarasotavotes.com or call (941) 861-8640.