August 1 was National Poll Worker Recruitment Day – and county elections offices across California are staffing up. The event was established by the Election Assistance Commission in 2020 to combat a shortage of poll workers.
Kim Alexander, president and founder of the California Voter Foundation, said there are a number of ways to get involved.
“If you go online to HelpAmericaVote.gov, you can find out what opportunities are available in your area and what’s expected, and also how much you will get paid if you step up to serve,” she explained.
Each county will provide any training workers might need; check your county election website for details. Nonprofit websites such as Power the Polls can help you determine your eligibility. In addition, the Vet the Vote campaign has recruited 135,000 military veterans and their family members nationwide to work in the polls this year.
Alexander said in many states, you can be as young as sixteen and qualify to become a poll worker.
“If you’re in high school, you can volunteer to work in your polling place and get paid. And if you are a bilingual speaker, you’re really in demand in voting sites. We need to make sure we can provide bilingual access to voters who need it,” she said.
More than a million people are needed to staff nearly 100,000 voting sites across the country – serving tens of millions of voters. Poll workers typically set up polling places, greet voters, verify voter registrations, demonstrate the use of voting equipment, and issue ballots.
