House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda

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House of Representatives
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	January 26, 2015 03:35 PM
From:	Representative Jason Dawkins
To:	All House members
Subject:	Increasing the Salaries of Election Officer Salaries (Formerly HB 1777)

In the near future, I plan to re-introduce legislation (House Bill 1777), that would increase salaries for Pennsylvania’s election officers. Specifically, the bill would amend the Pennsylvania Election Code to change the salaries of election officers to an hourly wage range of $15 to $17, depending on the position of the worker, or the current per diem rate, whichever is higher. As you all know, Election Officers are an integral part of the democratic process. These dedicated individuals are often asked to work long hours, from the time polling places open, around 7 a.m., until the time they close, usually around at 8 p.m. or later. Additionally, election officers are often paid below the state’s minimum wage. This alone is a deterrence for many qualified people to serve in this important role. This bill would aim to fix this problem by providing election officers with reasonable compensation. Polling places across the Commonwealth are having difficulty finding people to work on election days due to the long hours and low wages. It is my hope that fair compensation will provide better incentive for citizens to get involved in this important democratic process. I encourage you to join me in showing our Election Officers we appreciate them and their dedication to ensuring a successful, fair and democratic election process throughout Pennsylvania.

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