Inside look: Orange County poll workers prepare for Election Day
ORLANDO, Fla. —
Preparations for the primary election on Tuesday are underway in Orange County as poll workers gather equipment and supplies to ensure polling places are ready for voters.
At the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office, workers are checking in, collecting supplies, and verifying that all equipment is accounted for.
On Saturday, poll clerk Karen Fay was among those picking up everything needed for her assigned precinct.
Fay, who has worked as a poll clerk for 50 years, shared her thoughts on civic engagement.
“I think everyone should be involved in some kind of political aspect, even if it’s just out campaigning for somebody or working for the supervisor of elections,” Fay said.
Election officials are also preparing for unexpected challenges.
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel detailed the contingency plans in place to address emergencies, such as power outages or equipment issues.
“We prepare for a lot of different emergencies and things that might happen, so we prepare in case the electricity goes down or there’s a storm and our poll, our electric tablets don’t work,” Castor Dentel said. “We have a list printed out that we can pull out in an emergency and just start checking off voters. The voters don’t have to wait.”
Castor Dentel also encouraged voters to plan ahead and consider voting early.
“I would say watch the weather forecast because if it’s going to storm at the end of the day, you want to go early,” she said. “A lot of people need to prepare and also tomorrow there will be one more day of early voting this whole weekend.”
With election day approaching, the distribution of supplies to more than 250 precincts is bringing Orange County closer to being ready for voters.