Election Day Poll Workers Needed
Requirements, Pay, Duties, and How to Apply for the Job
Poll workers in each of the 50 states are governed by their state's individual regulations. Duties are varied and the hours are long. Statutory hours the polls are open vary state by state, as well.
Requirements Vary from State to State
There are few differences in requirements for residency and voter registration. According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Compendium of State Poll Worker Requirements, poll workers in most states must be at least age 18. All states and territories carry their own residency statutes with varied minimums from Arizona requiring 29 days to American Samoa requiring 2 years.
Most states have mandatory training sessions for poll workers before the election day. Some states, like Alaska and New Hampshire, don’t require any poll worker training. Also, many require voter registration, but Idaho and Wisconsin don’t require voter registration for poll workers.
These and other practices are closely monitored for the 50 states as well as the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, District of Columbia, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico by the Election Assistance Commission. Even though it is each government’s responsibility to determine what makes a poll worker applicant eligible for duty, basic federal standards must be followed as well.
Poll Worker Pay Schedules
Poll workers are paid by tax dollars and are responsible for handling the ballots cast by voters in their precinct. Payment schedules vary from state to state.
For example, the 2008 Republican Pres. and V.P. candidates' states vary from $9.50 per hour in Alaska, according to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Compendium of State Poll Worker Requirements, pg 4, to $140/day minimum in Pima County, Arizona, according to Pima County's Election Poll Worker Application Pamphlet.
In the 2008 Democratic Pres. and V.P. candidate states' payment schedule in the U.S. Election Assistance Commission Compendium of State Poll Worker Requirements, pg 47, Illinois pays election workers differently in each county and municipality. While pg. 27 of the same publication shows Delaware pays $25/day for training and $15/day for work done on days that are not an Election Day.
The Illinois, Delaware, Arizona, and Alaska variations in poll worker payments are not unusual. Each state creates its own payment standards for their election day employees.
Poll Worker Duties
Details vary from state to state, but basic duties on Election Day at the polling places across the United States are the same. The poll workers’ ultimate goal is to carry out the election process in the designated polling place to the best of their ability according to the statutes and laws of their state. Every state requires poll workers to take an oath to that regard.
To accomplish this goal, the poll workers have a long list of procedures on Election Day. Basically the duties include these team tasks:
- Preparing the ballot place for opening to voters
- Following Help America Vote Act procedures in processing votes
- Closing the ballot place to voters
- Certifying the work is done and votes are properly sealed
- Delivering sealed voted ballots to receiving station (Inspector & Judge of Opposite Party)
When and Where Poll Workers are Needed
Poll Workers are needed every Election Day, not only an historic General Election Day, like November 4th, 2008. Special Elections need poll workers for voting on town, county, and school bond issues. State Primary and General Elections are conducted in-between Presidential Election years and poll workers are needed for those balloting days too.
Communities set up polling places where the people are. Voting booths can be in apartment complex club houses, town meeting halls, churches, schools, and community clubs. A phone call to a local county elections office or a visit to that county’s online website should note the election dates, times, and precinct polling places.
Apply for Election Day Poll Worker Jobs
Many county elections offices, in the 2008 Election, post online job applications for potential poll workers. The online application is often the only step needed to be hired. Poll worker applications can also be picked up on-site at the county government offices.
Regardless of individual state government statutes, United States poll worker teams ensure all voters get the chance to cast ballots in the fairest and most efficient manner possible. Tasks vary and hours can be long, however poll workers experience a special and memorable day of participation in the electoral process.
Election Day polling place sign
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