SULPHUR, Okla. (KTEN) — Poll worker pay will double in Oklahoma next year.

The legislation is designed to reward hard-working Election Day staff, and hopefully encourage other Oklahomans to serve as poll workers.

Senate Bill 290 was authored by state Sen. Warren Hamilton (R-District 7). It will increase the daily pay of Election Day inspectors to $225. Judges and clerks will see their compensation double from $100 to $200 a day.

The legislation comes as a response to a shortage of available Election Day staff in recent years. Hamilton said he believes the new pay scale will help Oklahoma recruit and retain clerks, judges and inspectors who are essential in running secure, fair elections.

"In the past, it's been a 14-hour day for for maybe $7 an hour, and that's a tough day," said Murray County Election Board secretary Tommie Grimes. "So most people who do it think of it as a community service. As a local election official, we are very excited about it; it'll make it much easier to get poll workers."

The legislation will take effect on July 1, 2024.