Checks for Luzerne County Nov. 4 general election poll workers were mailed last week

Checks for Luzerne County Nov. 4 general election poll workers were mailed by the county accounts payable department last week, the administration said Monday.

Several county officials said they have been receiving inquiries from poll workers regarding the status of their payment.

County Election Director Emily Cook said last week the timing of payments varies and that the length of this election’s processing is not unusual.

There are 1,200 poll workers, and each must formally submit an Internal Revenue Service W-9 form and a pay slip documenting their work, Cook said.

All poll workers are supposed to completely fill out both on Election Day, but Cook said that “never happens.”

As a result, the county must track down poll workers with missing or incomplete paperwork, she said.

The pay request for all 1,200 is submitted in a batch to accounts payable.

“It takes a bit of time to enter checks for all poll workers,” Cook said.

Automatic payments would be faster but are not feasible because the county must document that all 1,200 on the list showed up and worked the entire day, she said.

For example, some poll workers must cancel at the last minute or leave early due to unforeseen circumstances, she said.