CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — After stating in a press release that only five polling locations will be open in Canyon County for both the early voting period and Election Day, county officials said on Monday that their plans for Election Day are a work in progress.
Typically, there are 55 polling locations in Canyon County, but officials said last week that they had to reduce it to five due to the lack of experienced poll workers.
Canyon County Clerk Chris Yamamoto said Friday, "We frankly don't have enough experienced poll workers to open locations in all 64 precincts, so this was our best option to help ensure a smooth voting process both on Election Day and during the early voting period."
So is it voter suppression or more of a lack of civic duty on our part? Poll workers are essential to elections in America.
In Idaho, people even get paid to be a poll worker but for one Canyon County family KTVB's Brian Holmes met during the 2016 election, money had nothing to do with it. Rather, ensuring every Idahoan had the opportunity to vote.
Joan Pancheri worked in Precinct 27 in Canyon County for 23 years in 2016, but he wasn't the only one in his family to work there.
His daughter, Cindy Squires and her husband Dave also worked there.
Then, ten miles north in Precinct 16, Jolynn Dicus is the senior judge there and works alongside Pancheri's granddaughter.
"So I have my husband, and then my nephew, and then my sister in law, and my niece is sitting up at the front desk," Dicus said.
Cruise four miles west, Precinct 15 was under the direction of Dixie Parker, who is Pancheri's daughter. Parker is Dicus's mother, and Mackenna Ireland's grandmother, who is a first-time poll worker from the family.
Parker said it was her who started the poll working family trait.
"I couldn't work one time and I had my mom fill in for me and that kind of started her working and then I needed somebody so I talked my daughter into it. and then I needed somebody again so I talked her daughter into it so, it just kinda grew," she said.
That's ten family members across three different generations from one family who all have one big responsibility.
"We believe in the United States of America and being, making a difference."
KTVB reached out to Canyon County elections office to see if any members of the family will be working polls again in November, and yes, a few of them will be. Sadly, the matriarch, Joan, passed away.
There will be a Squires on location, as well as a Parker helping people vote this November. That's nearly a 30-year legacy in Canyon County elections for the polling Pancheri's.
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