Putting on an election requires many logistical tasks, including storing, delivering and retrieving voting machines, ballots, signs and other voting materials.
Making sure everything is where it needs to be is Bohdan Russum, hired as a temporary employee to serve as Nevada County’s elections warehouse manager. The Nov. 5, 2024 General Election is the third election he has worked since 2022.
Russum said his co-workers make great efforts to ensure a smooth election, something that he shares with friends. “I can tell them with 100% positivity your vote gets counted,” he said. “If it doesn’t, you have a chance to reconcile that.”
For instance, in cases in which a voter signature on a ballot envelope doesn’t match a signature on file, staff contact the voter to give the person a chance to resolve the issue.
In addition, election records can be reviewed by the public through a public records request.
Born in Waltham, Mass., Russum lived many years in Bolinas in Marin County before settling in Nevada County in the early 2000s. He and his wife have two children – a son who is a senior at Nevada Union High School and a daughter who graduated from Sierra Academy of Expeditionary Learning last year.
In his free time, he enjoys seeing live music concerts- everything from jam bands to bluegrass, rock, hip hop or jazz. When he can he volunteers as security for music festivals.
While working in an election is not for everybody because of the hectic pace and tight deadlines, Russum said he is glad he can help out. “It’s something that’s important and needs to be done for our democracy.”
