County poll workers would be entitled to earn at least minimum wage instead of a flat rate under a rule that received initial approval Tuesday from the state Board of Election Commissioners.
Board Director Justin Clay said that to help counties comply with the state's minimum wage during the 2016 presidential primary election, the state will need to help pay workers an hourly wage instead of a maximum pay rate of $100.
Polls in Arkansas are open on Election Day from 7:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.
But some poll workers work as many as 14 hours on Election Day, Clay said.
The state's minimum wage is set to increase from $7.50 to $8 an hour next year, and increase again in 2017 to $8.50.
Anyone working more than 12.5 hours during the March 1 primary would be making less than the minimum wage.
Clay said that each increase in the minimum wage over the next two years will cost the state an additional $125,000 to reimburse counties for poll workers' hourly pay in future primary elections.
Counties, which aren't reimbursed for general election costs, would see their costs for those elections rise, said A.J. Kelly, an attorney with the secretary of state's office.
The proposed rule change would not go into effect until after a 30-day public-comment period and then final approval by the board.
At Tuesday's meeting, the board also discussed whether to pay some poll workers more than others.
Board member Stuart Soffer of Jefferson County said poll judges, the ones who manage other workers, get paid a little more in some counties, typically around $20 a day, and the state should consider reimbursing counties more for those managers.
Bryan Poe, director of elections in Pulaski County, said poll judges in the state's largest county get $15 more a day and that additional state money would help the county recruit and retain good poll managers.
"That extra bit of money gets more buy-in," Poe said.
Board members agreed to set a higher reimbursement rate for poll judges' pay, but said they would decide the amount after receiving public comment.
Metro on 06/24/2015