DeKalb County Needs Poll Workers

April 27, 2020
By:

DeKalb County Administrator of Elections Dennis Stanley is calling on residents willing to serve as poll workers for the August 6th election.

DeKalb County needs approximately 70 to 75 poll workers each election. “We need people of DeKalb County to step up and help out,” Stanley said. “If you are looking for temporary work, we need your help.”

“We certainly hope by August the COVID-19 issue will be less of a concern than it is currently, but at this stage we are working on plans to ensure that poll workers have a safe and healthy work environment,” he said. “The state office is working with all 95 counties to help us with both protective gear, ideas on how to maintain social distancing, and other worker/voter protections if still necessary by then.”

Those who have been long-time workers are asked to call the local election office to report if they wish to work in August, and potential new workers who wish to join the list are encouraged to do the same. The phone number is 615-597-4146. Current or interested workers may also email the office at dekalbelections@dtccom.net.

The election office will provide training for any new poll official before they election. To help with filling needed spaces, the legislature adopted a new law that allows poll workers to work a partial day on Election Day.

WHAT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A POLL WORKER?
Poll workers conduct assigned duties at a polling site on Election Day (and early voting). Duties can include processing voters, monitoring the voting equipment, or include a greeter who assists with answering questions and directing voters to the voting areas.

WHAT ARE THE HOURS OF WORK?
Polling places on Election Day open at 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Poll workers can work a full day, or half of the day. Generally, the hours are 7a.m. (to get the polls ready for opening) until about 7:30 at night or possibly later in the case of the November election.

ARE POLL WORKERS PAID OR VOLUNTEER?
Poll workers are compensated for working and are compensated for attending training sessions.

WHAT ARE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BE A POLL WORER?
To be a poll worker, a person must:
• Be able to read and write in the English language
• Not be a candidate
• Be 16 years of age or older
• Not work directly under the supervision of a county or municipal elected official who is on the ballot
• Not be a close relative of a candidate. Close relatives are defined as the spouse, parent, father-in-law, mother-in-law, child, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of a candidate on the ballot or a write-in candidate.

HOW DO I BECOME A POLL WORKER?
If you are interested in becoming a poll worker, you should apply by contacting the DeKalb County Election Office at 615-597-4146 or by email at dekalbelections@dtccom.net. A postal mail request can also be accepted. The mailing address is: DeKalb Election Commission, P.O. Box 549, Smithville, TN 37166

Poll officials are appointed at the county level by the Election Commission and those selected will be notified by letter at the appropriate time.

April 26, 2020
By: Bill Conger

Some people are searching beyond the headlines for answers to the worldwide pandemic. In our latest segment on this series—Connecting With Christ During COVID-19, we spoke with Isaac Gray, pastor at Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

Bill Conger: What can we learn from church history when it comes to thinking about the threat of pandemics?

Isaac Gray: I’m not a history buff so I’ve not spent a lot of time reading church history, but what we do know is that the Church has always risen to the occasion and reached out with the love of Jesus to those who were in need. We know that many hospitals, schools, charities, etc. were started by people following the call of God to help those that were most vulnerable and in need. The Church did not shrink back but went out into desperate situations as Christ has called us. We must continue to stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us and do the same. The Church has never been called to shelter in place and hoard up on goods so we can make it through the dark days; but, be generous and sacrifice for the good of each other.

Conger: Some people ask whether the virus is a plague or judgment from God. What does the Bible say?

Gray: The Bible says sometimes sickness, disease, natural disaster, etc. are a judgment from God and sometimes they are not. The Bible gives us many examples of when God punished nations, even His own people Israel, for their rebellion and sin toward God. Scripture is also clear in that the world is broken (by our sin), and bad things sometimes happen for no reason other than we live in a broken world. So, we feel the effects of a messed up world. The truth of the matter is that we really have no way of knowing whether COVID-19 is judgment from God unless God tells us directly. I have seen articles written from both perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic strongly declaring for one side or the other. We have to be really careful with that. I cannot give a strong “yes” or “no” on whether this is a judgment from God because my answer could be wrong.

Conger: How should Christians respond to the COVID-19 pandemic today?

Gray: With trust in the Lord knowing that He is still in control. God, who is Creator of the universe and has complete authority, knew that these days were coming to the world. We must let the truth’s of Scripture remind us that God is not frantically wondering how to solve this pandemic and defeat COVID-19. We have a Father who loves us deeply and will provide for us comfort, peace, hope, joy, rest, etc. when things in the world and our lives are out of control. This is not to say that we don’t have moments of fear and worry; but we can’t let ourselves set up camp in fear, anxiety and worry. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and saturate our minds with the work that He has done for us on the cross so that we can live in freedom!

Conger: What advice do you have for people to decrease their fear and anxiety during all the uncertainties?

Gray: It’s what I tell my folks at SCPC all the time: we must get in the Bible and spend time in prayer. We can read books, listen to music, take a walk, work in the yard, or play a game; but those things will only distract us for a short time. We can’t stay distracted for months on end; we must deal with the reality that we are scared and anxious. We must turn to God. God, through the Holy Spirit, can decrease our fear and anxiety faster and more effectively than anything else in this world. That is the only real solution that I know of to decrease fear and anxiety.

Conger: What are some practical ways we can love our neighbors in the midst of COVID-19?

Gray: This has probably been said thousands of times now in the last few weeks but it is true. We should be diligent about social distancing and checking on elderly folks who should not be getting out in this situation. We should check-in often on each other and be willing to help each other in any ways that we are able to provide.

Join Smithville Cumberland Presbyterian Church for worship services on Facebook Live Sunday mornings at 10 o’clock. https://www.facebook.com/SmithvilleCPChurch/

April 26, 2020
By: Dwayne Page

The DeKalb County High School Class of 2020 graduation will not go on as planned Friday, May 15 due to COVID-19 but the commencement is being rescheduled.

Director of Schools Patrick Cripps said Friday, June 19 has been set as a tentative date for the graduation but if COVID-19 restrictions are still in place, the commencement could be delayed again until Friday, July 17.

“I have some information from the state department and I hope the social distancing requirements are lifted before then (June 19) but they currently want us to keep the kids at least six feet apart and limit the amount of people coming in,” said Director Cripps.

School administrators are hoping to have the graduation in the same setting as always so that the graduates can celebrate together and with their families and friends.

“My goal is to have a normal graduation. I don’t want to do a drive through. I don’t want to do a walk down the street. I know some schools are bringing one kid up at a time where parents can be there watching them get their diploma and a video made. I don’t want to do that. I want it to be as normal for those students as possible and that is the goal of both myself and DCHS Principal Randy Jennings. We ask that parents and public be patient with us because until we know for sure we’re really playing this by ear,” said Director Cripps.

The DCHS graduation is typically held on a Friday night at 7 p.m. on the high school football field.