Singer and Republican Commissioner Al Schmidt said DeFelice's analysis may have overstated the extent of double-dipping with its treatment of election day interpreters, some of whom also serve as poll workers.
Leaving out interpreters, Schmidt's staff counted 333 people paid for multiple election day jobs in November.
Typically, each of the city's 1,687 polling places has five paid positions: a judge of elections; majority and minority inspectors; a clerk; and a machine inspector. Some divisions also need interpreters.
They are expected to work roughly 14-hour days, opening the polls to the public at 7 a.m. and lingering after the polls close at 8 p.m. until voting cartridges and absentee ballot lists are picked up.
For that, they get $95 a day, $100 for the judge of elections - arguably less than the state minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, which would pay $101 for 14 hours' work. Bilingual interpreters get just $75.
While it's the commissioners' job to run elections, traditionally they have left it to ward leaders and party committee people - usually Democrats - to recruit people for election boards in each division.
Finding people to take the jobs can be difficult. "It's an ongoing challenge each election," said Matthew Myers, the Democratic leader in South Philadelphia's Ward 39B. "The pay is an issue. I think it clearly needs to be increased. But someone serving in two positions at the same time, I don't think that's really a fair shake."
Myers said he was shocked to hear from Singer that it had happened in his ward.
Carol Jenkins, Democratic leader in University City's 27th Ward, said she often had to offer people extra money to staff the polls in some of her divisions.
