Poll Workers

Long hours and low pay while defending democracy

It’s the most important job in the world these days. That’s hardly an exaggeration. Without poll workers there are no polls. No elections.

Who are poll workers? They’re citizens like you and me, armed with about three hours of training, who are making democracy happen. On Election Day, and during early voting, they’re the anonymous folks who sit behind a desk, check your signature, and hand you a ballot. A dull job, you would think.

And it is a dull job, a long, tiring, thankless task. But having enough poll workers means that there can be multiple polling places. Instead of one inconveniently located polling place, with endless lines stretching out the door, there can be many voting locations. Polls can be scattered throughout neighborhoods in remote rural areas and in densely populated cities. It’s all up to the Board of Elections—and the people who step up to be poll workers.

Voter suppression doesn’t have to be a headline-grabbing, splashy event like gun-toting extremists bullying voters. It can be low-key, under the radar. Silent but very, very effective. For example, in New York State, when early voting first began, the law stipulated that there be at least one early voting site per county. But in my small, rural, extremely red county, the one and only site was located in a small town, ten miles from the nearest large city, which was virtually the only area where any Democrats lived.

Public transportation, almost nonexistent, would have involved hours of waiting for connections and walking nearly a mile to get from the bus stop to the polling place. Don’t have a car? Have small kids? In a wheelchair? Don’t have hours to spend on a bus? Early voting’s not for you.

When I called the Board of Elections to complain about this state of affairs, they had a long string of excuses. One of which was that there was a shortage of poll workers.

By law there must be an equal number of Democrats and Republicans supervising elections. And in my rural county, Democrats are thin on the ground.

Fortunately for New York State, a widely-ignored but earthshakingly-crucial law was passed (by Democrats) the following year. It mandated that each county must have at least one early voting site in its largest municipality. That changed everything. Now early voting is available in the largest population centers in every county.

But still, there can’t be polling places without poll workers.

So if you’ve never been a poll worker, consider giving it a shot. Google your county Board of Elections, and check out the details. They provide training, which you’re paid for.

The pay is scant (although it is getting better in some places) and the hours are appalling. But there are a few perks. Since the polls open at 6am, you have to be there by 5, so as you grope your way to the car clutching your coffee mug, you have an excellent opportunity to observe seldom-seen early-morning constellations. And with any luck, you’ll be working with colleagues who are good bakers, and your chances of homemade cookies are high.

But seriously, there is no more important job these days. If you want to defend democracy, here you’re on the front lines. Just by showing up, you make it possible for that polling place to be available to voters. More polling places mean fewer long lines, and long lines are a huge discouragement for voters.

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And while you’re there, there’s much you can do to make the wheels of voting run smoothly. What if someone isn’t listed in the records as a current voter? You can explain how to file a provisional ballot, so their vote can be counted later. Someone at the wrong site? You can show them where to go. A voter doesn’t realize that you have to turn the ballot over for the referendum issues listed on the back? You can remind them to flip the ballot before casting it—very crucial in NYS this year when the ERA constitutional amendment will be lurking on the back of every ballot, easy to overlook.

In this day and age, the thought of being a poll worker is more than a little scary, I’ll admit. In my brief career as a poll worker, I haven’t experienced any harassment or unpleasantness, but the possibility certainly exists this year.

But if there are not enough Democrats who are willing to be poll workers, especially in swing districts, it’s an excellent excuse for the Board of Elections to close polling sites. And especially in urban areas, we need all the polling sites we can get.

Dear Friends,

Are you more than a little worried about the election of 2024 and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.

Every Tuesday I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.

Together, I think, we could really make a difference.

“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

                                                                 --Noam Chomsky