Simple Civics
What Does a Poll Worker Do?
5/1/2024 | 2m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
Uncover the unsung heroes of elections: poll workers!
Interested in ensuring the smooth operation of elections? Become a poll worker in your local community! Help set up voting areas, verify IDs, and ensure a seamless voting experience for all. With over half of U.S. jurisdictions struggling to recruit poll workers, your participation is crucial. Find out more in this episode of Simple Civics!
Simple Civics is a local public television program presented by WFYI
Simple Civics
What Does a Poll Worker Do?
5/1/2024 | 2m 38sVideo has Closed Captions
Interested in ensuring the smooth operation of elections? Become a poll worker in your local community! Help set up voting areas, verify IDs, and ensure a seamless voting experience for all. With over half of U.S. jurisdictions struggling to recruit poll workers, your participation is crucial. Find out more in this episode of Simple Civics!
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Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipSuccessful elections are vital to ensuring the peaceful transfer of power between our nation's leaders.
And for the most part, American voters enjoy a smooth, private voting experience when they go to the polls with minimal wait time.
Ever wonder how that's able to happen?
Well, good news.
I've got a job for you working at your local polling location.
Ensures your community's elections can run at full capacity and could give you more confidence in the process.
Poll workers help set up the room where voting takes place and welcome voters.
They verify voter ID and issue ballots and they make sure that everything is in order so voters can be confident their votes will be counted.
It may not be the most physically demanding work, but you can imagine how much more difficult voting would be without these essential people making it all run as smoothly as possible.
The act of voting is one of the most universally popular beliefs in American society.
According to Pew Research, 69% of Americans believe that voting is very important and another 21% believe that voting is at least somewhat important.
But despite some 90% belief in the idea of voting, the work that goes into putting on an election does not receive nearly the same level of support.
Over half of U.S. jurisdictions had trouble recruiting poll workers in the 2022 midterm elections.
And while age does not mean anything in terms of ability, the average age of a poll worker is 61.
In a time when voter confidence can be shaky at best, having a larger, more diverse group of poll workers is critical.
And it's about more than the speed you can vote and leave.
Having a diverse group of people working our polls allows more folks to see themselves in the process of this crucial part of American society.
In some cases, it could even help voters overcome barriers to access, such as language or other needs for assistance.
Most states require you to be 18 to work the polls, but some allow people as young as 16 to assist.
You may also be required to live in the jurisdiction you're signing up to work.
And while you won't get rich working the polls.
You will most likely be paid for your work on Election Day.
So what do you think?
Does this sound like a job you want to sign up for?
Chances are your local election office could use you!
Simple Civics is a local public television program presented by WFYI