New York Yankees Host Board of Election Training Session

With the 2020 Presidential election less than two weeks away, the nation is still reeling from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Regardless of one’s political affiliation, voting in the election will be a challenging task. A sizable percentage of the country has requested absentee ballots, but in-person voting is still available. To achieve a legitimate voting process, well-trained poll workers are required

To this end, the New York Yankees are partnering with the Board of Elections in the City of New York for poll worker training. From October 20 to October 23, Yankee Stadium will serve as a training facility, with nearly 200 poll workers gathering in the Bronx.

At the gathering, workers were advised to consistently use hand sanitizer and to always wear a “sneeze guard” mask. They were given a training manual of approximately 50 pages. Among the manual’s instructions were the acceptable types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), which included the correct gloves and masks.

The gathering itself followed social distancing protocol; poll workers in training were situated in desks that were more than six feet apart from one another. 

“Opening our building for poll worker training will facilitate the ability of Bronx residents to participate in the upcoming election and increase their opportunity for civic engagement. Our organization is honored to be able to contribute to this process,” said Brian Smith, Yankees Senior Vice President of Corporate/Community Relations.” 

Michael J. Ryan, the Executive Director of the New York City Board of Elections, expressed his gratitude for allowing the training session to take place: “The Yankees approached us about what they could do. They have a long history of being a valuable member of the Bronx community.” He continued by saying, “Poll workers are the unsung hero of the election process. They are literally on the front lines of our democracy. Without them, elections don’t happen.”

For more information about participating as a poll worker in this critical election season, please visit the Board of Elections NYC website at http://elections.ny.gov.