Summit County Proclaims Jan. 27 Help America Vote Day, Honors Poll Workers

Summit County Council unanimously approved Proclamation 2026-01 to declare Jan. 27, 2026 as Help America Vote Day and to publicly honor longtime poll workers Linda Dolan, Rich Dolan, Renata Dalton, and Gary Dalton. The council vote took place Jan. 14, 2026; “Tanya” moved approval and “Roger” seconded the motion.

Summit County Clerk Eve Furse introduced the proclamation and asked the council to join in thanking veteran poll workers. Furse said, “They have been magnificent helpers in our system to help our fellow citizens vote at our elections repeatedly,” and added, “Their experience then helps other poll workers who come on by helping them come up to speed. It provides a really even keel to the whole process.” Framed copies of Proclamation 2026-01 and a certificate will be provided to the four honorees as the county follows through on recognition.

The proclamation singled out the couples for “years of election service” and for a steady presence at polling places through early mornings, long shifts, and the high-stakes intensity of election days. Renata and Gary Dalton have volunteered as poll workers for the past eight years, while Linda and Rich Dolan were described as longtime, multi-cycle workers whose service focuses on welcoming voters and dividing responsibilities across polling locations to keep sites familiar and running smoothly.

County officials emphasized the practical tasks that experienced poll workers perform on every election cycle. Poll workers set up voting machines, triple-check voter information to detect potential tampering or fraud, divide responsibilities among locations, and speak with voters to explain procedures and reassure them about security. Gary Dalton addressed a common voter concern about touchscreen machines, saying, “People were concerned that if they were putting their information into this screen, it could be captured or duplicated or changed. Our job was to tell them that the machine was actually a ‘dumb machine’ because it had no memory.” County summaries of the remarks noted that the experience of veteran workers left officials feeling secure about local voting systems.

Councilmembers used the occasion to thank poll workers and staff, recount personal experiences voting in person, and encourage others to serve. Staff also urged public recognition of poll-worker recruitment ahead of upcoming elections and outlined next steps to support staffing.

The county is seeking volunteers for early voting greeters and to help staff polling locations on Election Day, Nov. 4; those interested are asked to sign up through the ADM Board, which will follow up with additional information. For Summit County voters, the proclamation is both a formal recognition of long service and a reminder that local election administration depends on a steady corps of trained volunteers. Framed proclamations and certificates will be delivered to the honorees, and county staff say recruitment efforts will intensify as the next election approaches.