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Commissioner Wants More Money To Pay Election Workers

By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The new overseer of Philadelphia elections went before City Council with hat in hand asking for more money to pay the people who man the polls.

City Commission Chairwoman Stephanie Singer, who succeeded longtime chairwoman Marge Tartaglione in January, made her first appearance at the city council budget hearing. And she was quick to ask for more than the mayor had proposed: an extra $2.2 million dollars above the $8.5 million proposed in the budget.

Half of the extra amount, Singer said, would be to raise the payments given to poll workers on primary and election days.

"Especially with the Voter Photo ID Law, it really would be a shame to pay them like its 1999."

Singer said if you rank how the top 20 U.S. cities pay its poll workers, Philadelphia would rank 18th.

She also wants more expenses related to informing voters in the fall about the new Photo ID law.

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