TOLEDO, Ohio — 16-year-old Maumee Valley Country Day School junior is not old enough to vote but that hasn't stopped him from participating in the upcoming election.
Jack Gensler has recruited nearly 50 poll workers throughout Lucas County as a project to earn his Eagle Scout badge.
“Everyone’s voice needs to be heard. This election is going to have a massive turnout and it's our job as the younger generation to step up in any way we can," said Gensler, who has been in the scouting program since he was little.
With COVID-19 still a big concern for many with compromised immune systems, getting younger, healthy people to work the polls has been something boards of elections have been trying to do.
Gensler recognized this concern and how as a young person, he could step up. The people he has recruited said he was hard to say no to.
“It was kind of hard to miss Jack when he was doing this, he hung up signs all over the school, he talked to me individually, he texted me, he emailed me individually,” Maumee Valley Country Day School senior Catherine Bigenho said.
Bigenho is a first-time voter and poll worker. She said she is excited to be so involved her first time around.
“Every day I'm at lunch and I'm like, 'Hey are you signed up to work this election?'” Gensler said.
The recruitment is not limited to his school, Gensler has reached out to other school districts, as well as the Lucas county young Democrats and Republicans.
He checks in with each person he recruits to make sure their paperwork is good to go.
“Right now, everyone who can, who is healthy, needs to sign up to work this election to make sure people don't have to wait hours in line," Gensler said.
Many of the people Gensler recruited are first-time voters. Representatives at the Lucas County Board of Elections said he has been a huge help to them.
They meet with him via Zoom on a regular basis and he's still pushing for more people.
“He’s been amazing! He’s developed this whole program and has done a fantastic job," Lucas County Board of Elections Deputy Director Tim Monaco said.
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