Why more people are signing up to be election judges in El Paso County

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The El Paso County Clerk's office is anticipating hundreds of applications for election workers.

In less than two months, last-minute voters will head to the polls for the presidential election. El Paso County Clerk Chuck Broerman says they need 500 to 600 people working to collect, count, and verify ballots.

"It's been very robust more so than I think in other elections. There's a lot of attention. There's a lot of citizens who want to make sure the process is fair, accurate, and transparent and have a secure election," Broerman explained.

On Election Day, teams of two people from opposing political parties work together to collect ballots. Later, another team verifies the ballots.

"It's essential we have watchers that are policing, that are watching over, safeguarding our process. Our election judges are the sentinels, the vanguards," he explained.

The clerk's office says there's a group of election judges who come back every year, but some have chosen to skip this election for fear of catching of COVID-19. However, the shortage is expected to be covered because of the high-interest in the 2020 election.

"There are some of our seasoned citizens who have chosen not to participate, but many still want to come back," Broerman explains, "I think it's the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to be able to participate in something as grand as a presidential election."

The El Paso County Clerk's office is still looking to fill hundreds of positions for election workers. Click here for more information.