COLUMBUS — As part of ongoing preparations ahead of the November election, Secretary of State Jon Husted last week announced the release of $760,000 in funding for Ohio’s 88 counties to help offset the cost of mandatory poll worker training for boards of elections.

“Poll workers are on the frontlines of our democracy and lay the groundwork for a smooth election,” Secretary Husted said. “Making these resources available to our local boards will help to ensure that poll workers are ready on Election Day.”

Under state law, poll workers are required to participate in an education program that instructs them as to the rules, procedures and laws pertaining to elections administration in Ohio. New poll workers must complete training prior to working an election, while those who have previously served must go through retraining a minimum of once every three years. The July directive ensures all poll workers are ready for the 2018 General Election.

Each county will receive an amount based on the number of registered voters in that county. This funding will provide for the mandatory training each poll worker is required to complete under state law. These funds help to offset the cost associated with training poll workers for county boards of elections, which are facing tighter budgets.

To date, the Secretary of State’s office has awarded nearly $3.1 million to ensure individuals staffing polling locations are properly trained ahead of Election Day so voters have a positive experience.

The Secretary of State’s office also assists with the recruitment of new poll workers through DayForDemocracy.com. This comprehensive website provides online training tools and resources for county boards of elections and poll workers alike, as well as an online sign-up for Ohioans to become poll workers. To date, nearly 20,000 people have signed up through the Secretary of State’s Office.