At least four people who spent the day Tuesday standing outside polling places, holding signs and speaking to voters on behalf of independent candidate Dianne "Dee Dee" Witman, said on Friday night that they still hadn’t received the compensation they were promised.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Multiple people who worked for independent candidate for mayor Dianne “Dee Dee” Witman on Election Day say they haven’t been paid by her campaign for their work.

At least four people who spent the day Tuesday standing outside polling places, holding signs and speaking to voters, said on Friday night that they still hadn’t received the compensation they were promised.

“It’s unacceptable,” said Iasha Hall, 49, who joined several others outside of Witman’s Cranston Street campaign office Friday night. The campaign office was closed.

Witman, a former political and philanthropic fundraiser, lost the election to Mayor Jorge Elorza, a Democrat, by about 12,800 votes. She earned 33 percent of the vote.

“The day of the election, 7 a.m. to basically 8 p.m., we worked the whole day and waited for payment, which still hasn’t come yet,” said Monica Tchakmakian, 48. “I don’t have a job right now, so that’s really valuable money, you know. And plus it’s a matter of ... principle.”

Witman and members of her campaign staff did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment.

Kobi Dennis, who ran for mayor as a Democrat but lost in the primary, served as one of Witman’s campaign cochairs. He said he recruited 19 people to work at the polls on Election Day and none of them has been paid. Workers were promised $60 for working a half-day and $120 for the full day, he said.

“It’s minimal money to some people, but a lot of these people. They don’t work, some of them are elderly, some young folks, some college students,” he said while standing in the rain outside the Cranston Street headquarters. “Nineteen people were promised to be paid immediately after the election.”

Some people, though, did get paid.

Lisa Scorpio, a Providence resident and community activist, said she worked on Election Day and oversaw eight other workers. They all got paid, she said.

Dennis said it was telling that Scorpio, who is white, was able to secure payment for herself and her workers, while Dennis, who is black, and the workers he oversaw weren’t paid.

“I am a black man and I’ve never pulled the race card in the state of Rhode Island,” he said. “I’ve never said anyone mistreated me because of my dark skin. Today, I’m feeling that way.”

Luther Alford, 56, Iasha Hall’s husband, said he and his wife worked the polls in Ward 15 on Election Day, handing out palm cards and T-shirts, delivering lunches, holding signs and counting voters. Many others were doing the same work in the pouring rain, he said.

“They sacrificed,” he said. “They gave up their whole day. It’s not right.”

Mark Fisher, 44, who said he also worked at the polls and hasn’t been paid, was planning on using his $120 to help pay his bills.

“Gas, food, bills, everything,” he said. “What she did says more about her than it could ever say about me because I sleep good at night. When I look in the mirror, I like what I see.”

Witman spent about $181,000 over the course of her campaign, according to her last campaign finance report, which was due on Oct. 30. Money spent after Election Day won’t appear in campaign finance records until the next report, which is due on Dec. 4.

As of the last filing, she had $439,389 left in her campaign coffers. She loaned her campaign $500,000 in August.

Dennis said he felt disheartened and defeated after working hard for Witman’s campaign and recruiting others to do the same.

“People are going to say, ‘That’s what you get, Kobi Dennis. You should've stayed with the Democratic party. That’s what you get,'" he said. “‘You went with the independent woman and she independently screwed you.’”

— mlist@providencejournal.com

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On Twitter: @madeleine_list