Baptist Health to pay employees to work the polls

"Poll workers are crucial to making democracy happen," said Gerard Colman

LOUISVILLE, KENTCKY (Oct. 6, 2020) – To help fill a critical need for precinct election officers in Kentucky and Indiana, Baptist Health is paying its employees to work at the polls in the Nov. 3 general election.

The move came after requests from Baptist Health employees, and from civic leaders in the communities served by the nine-hospital system. Poll workers are the community members who greet voters at their local precinct, check their registration, and direct them to voting booths.

“Poll workers are crucial to making democracy happen,” said Gerard Colman, Baptist Health CEO. “We encourage our employees – and all those in our communities – to volunteer on Election Day, to educate themselves about the candidates and to vote.”

Baptist Health joins a long list of companies encouraging workers to fill more than one million election worker positions nationally. Traditionally, a majority of these workers are senior citizens – and many may not want to serve this year because of health risks posed by the pandemic.

“I’m grateful to Baptist Health for allowing their employees to serve as poll workers while still getting paid for their day jobs. Democracy is a team sport and we need the help of private citizens and the private sector. Baptist Health has set a standard that I hope others will follow,” said Michael Adams, Kentucky Secretary of State.

Baptist Health is Kentucky's largest healthcare system, with more than 22,000 employees in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.