Noah Pittman, 17, of Vermontville will be working the polls today at the Franklin Town Hall. (Photo provided)

VERMONTVILLE — Voters at the Franklin Town Hall may be surprised to see a young face greeting them when they go to vote in person or turn in absentee ballots today; one of the poll workers there has not yet graduated high school.

Noah Pittman, 17, of Vermontville is not old enough to vote in today’s election, but he signed up to work at his hometown poll site due to the coronavirus. He said he wants to keep older poll workers, who are most at risk of the virus, out of harm’s way.

Around 58% of poll workers in the 2018 general election were ages 61 and older, the same age group the virus poses the largest health risk to.

“I took that to heart. It really got to me,” Pittman said. “I would hope to some degree I can help protect the older poll workers from the virus, whether by taking the spot for someone … or by dealing with the public directly.”

He said he has not thought about getting involved in politics much before now, saying the chaos of this election year and the danger of the virus were his two main reasons for signing up.

“I thought the election would be a great way to invest myself in the community,” Pittman said.

He said signing up “was one of the easiest things I’ve done.”

He called the Franklin County Board of Elections last Friday, got pre-registered to vote — meaning he will be all set for the 2021 election, the first election after he turns 18 — and was signed up as a poll worker by Saturday.

“Of course, there is a little bit of paperwork, which I’m not used to, just because of my age,” he added.

Franklin County Republican Election Commissioner Tracy Sparks said students usually go through a training for the job, but since Pittman’s application came in so close to Election Day, he’ll have to learn on the job.

“I can’t be more thrilled!” Franklin town Clerk Lauren LeFebvre wrote in an email. “This is one for the history books.”

Sparks said every year a handful of students from a BOCES government class taught by Tracy Warren in the Malone school district get pre-registered and have the opportunity to be poll workers.

“(Franklin County Democratic Election Commissioner) Brandon (John Varin) and I try very hard to get our young people involved in the process,” Sparks said. “(Noah) is the first student that we’ve had in the southern end of the county … since I’ve been here. … The Town of Franklin is the winner on that.”

Pittman is attending the Clarkson School at Clarkson University in his senior year of high school, so he has the freedom to work the polls on a school day. He’ll be there at 5:30 a.m.

He said he hopes he can be the one to deal with the public directly, since the virus poses a lower risk to him.

Pittman said he is not sure what to expect, but he is “confident everyone will behave themselves.” He said people in Vermontville are more “mellow” than “radical.” Still, he said he is ready to deal with all sorts of voters who may be frustrated with the voting process or politics in general.

“My personal belief is that hatred should not be met with opposition,” Pittman said. “I prefer to engage with someone and learn their viewpoint … and hopefully arrive at a conclusion.”

Pittman said he is not expecting to get much out of working the polls, saying he is just interested in knowing he contributed to the community.