Don Adkins

JASPER, Tenn. - Some election officials in Marion County are about to get a significant pay increase for the work they do.

The Marion County Commission voted unanimously last week to increase the pay of election officers at all precincts across the county.

Traditionally, county election workers get $88 per day for their efforts, but the board's vote will increase the officers' pay to $125 per day.

Gary Reames, county elections administrator, said he presented a resolution for the pay increase to the board's finance committee recently.

"Right now, their pay is the same as the regular workers," he said.

Commissioner Don Adkins, who is also the board's finance committee chairman, said the committee felt the increase was the right move with the county's primary election coming up on Tuesday.

"We discussed it, and it was the recommendation [of the committee] to increase that pay," he said.

Reames said a precinct officer's responsibilities before, during and after an election are "a lot more" than those of a regular election worker.

"The officers are required to pick up the machinery," Reames said. "They're really the boss of the precinct on election day."

Ryan Lewis is based in Marion County. Contact him at ryanlewis34@gmail.com.