Pennsylvania poll workers help to make voting run smoothly on Election Day. Here’s how you can serve as one.
Kate Huangpu and Elizabeth Estrada of Spotlight PA
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HARRISBURG — When Pennsylvania holds its 2024 general election on Nov. 5, thousands of poll workers will ensure that voting runs smoothly. Poll workers are a critical component of our election process and you could be one of them. Counties are currently recruiting people to work at the state’s approximately 9,000 voting locations.
Poll workers have the opportunity to serve their state and community, meet new people, and learn about elections in Pennsylvania. Plus, as a bonus for being a “champion of democracy,” they also get paid for their time.
The Pennsylvania Department of State accepts applications to become a poll worker on a rolling basis. While there is no strict deadline, people who are interested should apply sooner rather than later.
Want to learn more? Here’s what you need to know:
The requirements
There are only a few requirements to become a poll worker. First, you must be a registered voter and can serve only in the county in which you live.
High school students who are 17-year-old juniors or seniors may be eligible to volunteer as student poll workers if they receive permission from their parent or guardian, as well as their principal. Requirements vary across counties, so it’s important to double-check your eligibility with your local county election office to make sure you can volunteer.
Additionally, poll workers cannot be current government employees or officials, except district judges, notary publics, or members of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Similarly, people whose names are on the ballot are not permitted to be poll workers, except for candidates for the local election board, including judges of elections.
The duties
Poll workers must be available for the entirety of Election Day, before polling places open at 7 a.m. and after they close at 8 p.m.
Poll workers assist with the setup, opening, and closing of a polling place. They record the names of voters, check them in, and assist with election equipment.
There are a few specialized poll worker positions that are elected in municipal elections every four years. Each polling place has a local election board comprised of a judge of elections, a majority inspector, and a minority inspector. All three positions help manage the polling place, keep track of the number of voters, and ensure that the results are received by the county election office.
Other specialized positions — such as the machine operator — support the local election board and are filled by appointment. They oversee the voting devices used at polls.
Regular poll workers, or clerks, help check in voters, manage lines, and guide voters through each step of the process.
Poll workers are not partisan poll watchers, who are appointed by candidates or political parties and can challenge the eligibility of a voter (though they cannot directly question or speak to them).
The training
People who want to be poll workers must attend a mandatory training session in person or online before Election Day.
Each county runs its own training, as voting systems vary. Some counties use optical scanners to process ballots, while others use different kinds of voting machines.
Counties also handle training for safety threats differently. According to the Pennsylvania Department of State, every county addresses what to do in the event of general threats and disruptive behavior in the polling place. Poll workers are instructed accordingly.
Supplementary training courses for poll workers can be found online. They include videos and guides on checking in voters, inspecting voter identification, and accepting provisional ballots, which are those filled out by people whose eligibility cannot be immediately verified.
The pay
According to the Election Code, the statutory minimum pay for poll workers is $75 a day, with a maximum payment of $200.
Higher pay is typically reserved for elected positions. Poll workers who attend certain training events can be eligible for additional compensation. Overall, the allocation of pay is largely at the discretion of county commissioners, and therefore varies from county to county.
How to sign up
If interested, you can apply by filling out a form on the Department of State’s website. Some counties have their own forms on their election websites. Visit pa.gov to find your county’s website.
The form asks for basic contact information and place of residency, as well as any special skills that could aid you as a poll worker, such as fluency in a foreign language.
That information is then sent to your county’s election office, which will reach out to you if it needs more workers. If you haven’t heard back in 1-2 weeks after submitting your application, you can follow up with your local county election office.
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