The approximately 2,000 members of Lake County’s election team received a bipartisan thank you for their efforts in the form of official lapel pins for the 2024 election in advance of Tuesday’s primary.
LeAnn Angerman, the Republican deputy elections director, said she and Michelle Fajman, the Democratic elections director, got the idea from the national conference they attend to receive their national Certified Elections/Registration Administration (CERA) certification.
“Michelle and I both loved the idea and wanted to implement it here to help show our appreciation in a small but tangible way,” Angerman said.
About 2,000 people are involved on Election Day, Fajman said. Those workers include county staff and the myriad employees hired to represent the Democratic and Republican parties at the polls by party chairmen Jim Wieser and Randy Niemeyer, respectively, as well as board members, early voting workers, travel board workers, technicians, and poll workers.
Angerman said the office had 2,000 enamel lapel pins made. The cost was $3,340 and paid for through the office supply budget.
“We have up to 1,750 poll workers and when you add in our entire election team, we are right about 2,000 people at election time,” Angerman said.
She said they started distributing the pins to those working early voting and travel board. Technicians also received them. The bulk of the pins were distributed on Saturday, when inspectors pick up their election day equipment. Poll workers who have not received one will do so on Tuesday.
Angerman said so far the response from workers has been very positive.
Moving forward, they anticipate having a new lapel pin for each election. The lapel pins are only available to those who are part of the Lake County Election team.
Tammy Brown and Desiree Jones were working the last day of early voting Saturday at the Lake County Government Center.
Jones, who said she has worked a few elections so far, said she plans to do just that, collect the pins and wear them each election season.
Brown said the pins had a more official look than just their regular name badges.
“It’s like a little ‘thank you’,” she said.
