Today, Congressman Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township) and 40 colleagues introduced the Enhanced Pay for Election Workers Act. This bill amends the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to create a new grant program to provide states with funding to increase election worker wages.

“Efforts to undermine our democracy have made the workplace incredibly challenging for election workers. Despite perpetuation of the Big Lie, election workers continue to ensure all Americans can vote safely and securely. They must be compensated for their service and sacrifice, and until that happens, we will have trouble retaining and attracting enough to run our elections properly,” said Congressman Levin. “I authored the Enhanced Pay for Election Workers Act because too many workers are underpaid. The legislation proposes a new grant program to provide states with the funding to increase the pay of their election workers. We must recognize the difficulties election workers face, the enormity of their responsibility and pay them what they deserve.”

“Nearly 80 percent of elec­tion offi­cials think the federal govern­ment is either doing noth­ing to support them or taking some steps but not doing enough,” said Gowri Ramachandran, Senior Counsel, Elections & Government, at the Brennan Center for Justice. “Enhancing pay for poll workers is one facet of how the federal government can help local election officials recruit and retain those dedicated to free and fair elections for these important jobs.” 

Congress first authorized federal grant programs for elections in the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, which was enacted in response to election administration issues during the 2000 elections. These grant programs are intended to support state-level improvements to elections processes. This bill authorizes the creation of a new grant program to specifically increase pay for election workers.

Research demonstrates that election workers are chronically underpaid, and states lack the resources to meaningfully increase pay for their election workers statewide. Additionally, a majority of election workers in the United States are older Americans and enhanced pay for election workers can open up avenues for improved recruitment of younger employees—critical for the longevity of our elections system.

Further, according to a recent Brennan Center for Justice survey, 30 percent of election workers polled know of one or more colleagues who have left their job at least in part because of fear for their safety, increased threats, or intim­id­a­tion. Further, 60 percent of offi­cials are concerned that threats, harass­ment, and intim­id­a­tion against local elec­tion offi­cials will make it diffi­cult to retain and recruit elec­tion work­ers.

The Enhanced Pay for Election Workers Act is cosponsored by: Colin Allred (TX-32), Earl Blumenauer (OR-03), Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE-At Large), Tony Cardenas (CA-29), Andre Carson (IN-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Judy Chu (CA-27), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Madeleine Dean (PA-04), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Dwight Evans (PA-03), Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Raul Grijalva (AZ-03), Sheila Jackson Lee (TX-18), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Mondaire Jones (NY-17), Barbara Lee (CA-13), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), Marie Newman (IL-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40), Michael F.Q. San Nicolas (GU-At Large), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), John P. Sarbanes (MD-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Adam Schiff (CA-28), Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Elissa Slotkin (MI-08), Mark Takano (CA-41), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Dina Titus (NV-01), Rashida Tlaib (MI-13), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Nikema Williams (GA-05)

_{Source:https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-colleagues-introduce-bill-enhance-election-worker-pay}