Compuslory teen poll workers sounds like a bad idea.

A recent letter to the editor in the same local newspaper, written by a local author, suggested staffing understaffed election poll locations with compulsory unpaid labor from teens.

Image text: Youth could be the answer to election worker shortage. Editor: Each election we have trouble staffing the polls. We need to expand the pool of possible workers. High School seniors need a project to graduate, maybe this could be it. Local colleges and universities are another possibility. Counties should reach out. If laws need to be changed or enacted, I see a rare issue where all political parties can come together. John Figliomeni Childs.

When I mentioned this to a friend, I was informed that apparently even stranger and more questionable teen high school projects have been happening in Texas. The reason for the poll worker shortages includes the covid risk for seniors who opt not to risk it anymore, and threats of politically motivated violence that drives away potential poll workers. Maybe we should try solving both of those problems before considering unpaid child labor putting youths at risk in politically charged adult situations, and maybe reject that idea on a bipartisan basis.