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City Clerk's office hires three part timers to help process spike in absentee ballots

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The City Clerk's Office is expected to be a busy place through Election Day in November. (Courtesy photo)

ROCHESTER - Rochester City Clerk Kelly Walters said on Friday her department has hired three temporary part-time workers to help cope with the voluminous amount of absentee ballots expected for New Hampshire's primary and presidential elections coming up in September and November.

"We've already received more than 1,000 absentee ballots each for this year's primary and presidential elections," she said.

Walters said the amounts more than double what they would have normally received at this point in a typical, nonpandemic year.

While she is not concerned with any logistical Election Day issues with either the Sept. 8 primary or the Nov. 3 presidential election, she urges anyone choosing to vote by absentee ballot to do so "sooner rather than later."

For those who opt to vote in person at polling stations, she said Rochester and other cities and towns across the state will be going to great lengths to keep everybody safe, including social distancing and wearing of masks by all poll workers.

Statewide guidelines also call for free masks to be available to any voters who need them, she said, and voters will also find that their voting materials are inside a wrapped package, which will include a pen to be used and then discarded.

The three part-time employees assisting in processing absentee ballots will be working three to five shifts a week - about 21-30 hour each - well below the threshold that would entitle them for paid benefits.

New Hampshire's primary is Sept. 8; the presidential election is Nov. 3.

The Rochester City Clerk's Office has special senior citizen hours from 8-9 a.m. each weekday. They are also closed daily from 1-2 p.m. for extra cleaning.

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