Baptist Health, a nine-hospital system based in Louisville, Ky., said it is paying employees to work at polls in the Nov. 3 general election.
The health system attributed the move to a need for precinct election officers in Kentucky and Indiana as well as requests from Baptist Health employees and community civic leaders.
"Poll workers are crucial to making democracy happen," Baptist Health CEO Gerard Colman said in a news release. "We encourage our employees — and all those in our communities — to volunteer on Election Day, to educate themselves about the candidates and to vote."
Employees who volunteer will greet voters, check voter registration and direct people to voting booths.
They will be among residents who step in to assist in the general election during the pandemic. Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams announced Oct. 5 that more than 5,000 poll workers have been recruited through GoVoteKy.com.
Baptist Health has more than 22,000 employees in Kentucky and southern Indiana.