Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio
Court News Ohio

Chief Justice Discusses Attorney Poll Workers on CBS

Side-by-side images of a CBS correspondent Jericka Duncan and Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor

CBS This Morning Correspondent Jericka Duncan interviews Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

Side-by-side images of a CBS correspondent Jericka Duncan and Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor

CBS This Morning Correspondent Jericka Duncan interviews Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor.

Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor was featured on “CBS This Morning” news show to promote the plan to have Ohio lawyers volunteer as poll workers to help close the expected shortfall at voting precincts this fall.

“The opportunity for attorneys to be poll workers is just one piece of the puzzle. It could turn out to be a very big piece and be helpful on election day,” Chief Justice O’Connor said in a taped remote interview with correspondent Jericka Duncan broadcasted Thursday.

Attorneys are being asked to volunteer in exchange for four hours of continuing legal education (CLE) credits toward the mandatory 24 credits they must earn every two years.

The chief justice partnered with Ohio Secretary of State Frank La Rose to ask lawyers and judges to help counter the expected worker shortfall. Most poll workers fall into the category of older Americans who are at higher risk of contracting Covid-19 than younger people.

With enough poll workers “people who do show up at the polls are processed quickly, they don’t have to linger at the poll site,” Chief Justice O’Connor said.

Early in-person voting in Ohio begins Oct. 6 and includes the two Saturdays, the two Sundays, and the Monday before election day, Tuesday Nov. 3.