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The Escambia County Commission will ask Rep. Alan Baker to sponsor statewide legislation to increase poll worker salaries by $50 per day.

In May, Roger Williamson spoke on behalf of local poll workers seeking a $50 across-the-board raise for the 150 poll workers handle local elections.

During the May 14 meeting, Williamson said that poll workers work some 14 to 16 hours during elections.

Since it was too late to ask for legislative action at the time of the request, but the commission approved a $25 per day raise for the 2018 election cycle for poll workers.

The county is responsible for half of the cost of poll workers’ salary with the state paying the other half. The only exception, Commission Chairman Raymond Wiggins said is if it is a state runoff with no local races.

“Polls are open 7 a.m to 7 p.m., but poll workers are required to go to poll workers’ training,” Wiggins said. “They get there at 6 a.m., and then they have to tally up.”

Wiggins said $100 isn’t much stipend for 15 to 16 hours of work.

Wiggins explained that the county would ask Baker to sponsor a bill to increase the pay to $150 for poll workers and $175 for poll supervisors.