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With 12 days before the Texas vote, the state is seeing a shortage of poll workers, especially those who speak Spanish.

Maria Guerrera is a rarity at an early voting location because she speaks Spanish.  In the election business that talent is in demand.

“Although we have the ballot translated into Spanish and Vietnamese, that’s just part of the process,” said David Beirne, Harris County Election Commission. “There’s still a check-in process. There’s still the overall environment of making sure their federal voting rights that are guaranteed to them when they become naturalized are just as guaranteed as anyone else.”

Harris County still lacks bilingual workers for 175 precincts, which is about 20 percent of its polls.

In Fort Bend County up to 50 translators are needed for almost half of its polls.

“We have the issue across the state,” said J.R. Perez, Fort Bend County Elections Administrator.  “It’s very difficult to get poll workers. It’s a tough job. You’ve gotta be there a long day and the pay is not as much as we’d like it to be.”

There aren’t lines of Spanish speakers waiting to vote, but the Justice Department says any precinct with 100 Spanish last names has to have a translator.  It’s not a suggestion; it’s a requirement.

Odessa found out the hard way.

The Justice Department sued Ector County last year, accusing it of failing to provide assistance in Spanish, which is a violation of the Federal Voting Rights Act.

Harris County started an ad campaign this year in an effort to recruit bilingual workers like Maria Guerrera.  That task that gets more challenging as Election Day draws closer.