Frequently Asked Questions
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1. What's a pollworker?
Pollworkers are citizens who sign up for a one-day paid job with their county elections officials, and are hired and trained to help out from early in the morning on Election Day, through the close of polls that evening. The main thing to note upfront about pollworking is that just about everything election-related varies from county to county, and in some cases, from town to town. People tend to find pollworking a long day but a gratifying experience. Many appreciate the chance to show up and help people vote, and many value getting firsthand knowledge of our democracy's workings -- as well as its not-so-workings.
Pollworker duties may include helping voters sign in, assisting with voting machines, checking voter registration, etc. Training varies from a couple hours to a full day. Pay varies by county, typically ranging from $85 to $200. To get specifics for your area, contact your local elections officials.
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2. What's a pollwatcher?
Pollwatchers or poll monitors are typically volunteers. They are not employed by the local elections office, and their activities vary from state-to-state and from county-to-county. Most commonly, pollwatchers work for partisan election integrity organizations.
Pollworkers, on the other hand, work inside the polls and get to make many of the crucial decisions that a pollwatcher can only observe. That's why we believe that being a pollworkers is the most effective way to ensure a fair election.
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3. Why recruit pollworkers?
"Where's the next generation of poll workers? We need passion about this whole process and civic participation.";
— Kay J. Maxwell, president of the U.S. League of Women Voters, quoted in a 2004 Associated Press article"[Poll workers are] the foundation upon which democracy rests... the cornerstone of democracy is the right to vote, but to be able to exercise that right there must be polling places and poll workers."
— Victor Salazar, Fresno County Clerk, quoted in the Fresno Bee, April 21, 2006"As long as they're breathing and they can walk in, we have to take them. The people we hire for the most part are elderly, uneducated, and frequently unemployed."
— Barbara Jackson, Baltimore?s director of elections, quoted in USA Today -
4. How do I become a pollworker?
To become a pollworker, sign up at the CREDO Pollworkers for Democracy website at http://pollworkersfordemocracy.com/
Once you've signed up with us, you'll receive a confirmation e-mail telling you how to get in touch with election officials in your area so that you can work the polls on Election Day.
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5. Am I already signed up to work at the polls?
If you've signed up through our website, you have pledged your interest in working as a pollworker in the 2008 general election. This does not automatically sign you up to be a pollworker.
To become a pollworker, follow the instructions in your confirmation e-mail on how to get in touch with your county election officials.
If your confirmation e-mail does not have all the information you need, you can find general contact information for your county elections department.
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6. What is the contact info for my county?
We provide county contact info on the confirmation page after you sign up with us, and in your confirmation email. You can also find your county elections department contact info.
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7. How do I cancel my participation?
Click on the link to your pollworker event page in the confirmation email that you received when you signed up, and then click the "Cancel signup" link.
If you have already contacted your county to get on the pollworker list, contact them again to tell them that you are no longer available to work on Election Day.
You can find your county elections department contact info on the confirmation page after you sign up with us, in your confirmation email.
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8. Can I volunteer in a district/precinct other than my own?
Rules and regulations regarding pollworkers differ by state and by county, so please contact your county elections department to find out if you can work as a pollworker in a precinct other than your own.
You can find your county elections department contact info on the confirmation page after you sign up with us, in your confirmation email.
To become a pollworker, sign up with us at http://pollworkersfordemocracy.com/.
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9. How much will I get paid?
Rules and regulations regarding pollworkers differ by state and by county. Contact your county elections department to find out how much pollworkers get paid to work on Election Day.
You can find your county elections department contact info on the confirmation page after you sign up with us, in your confirmation email.
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10. Do I have to volunteer for the whole day?
Rules and regulations regarding pollworkers differ by state and by county, and some counties do allow pollworkers to work for a half day. Contact your county elections department to find out if it is possible to work for part of the day, or if pollworkers must work for the full day.
You can find your county elections department contact info on the confirmation page after you sign up with us, in your confirmation email.
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11. I'm interested in being a County Coordinator - what would I have to do?
Our County Coordinators are a crucial component of the Pollworkers For Democracy project and will have the biggest effect on the success of the project and our ability to make sure that all of our pollworkers are well-informed and better able to protect people's right to vote. The most important part of the job is to serve as the first point of contact for everyone in your county who signs up to be a pollworker.
This includes:
- Welcome phone calls to all new recruits explaining how to sign up with local election officials to become pollworkers
- Follow-up calls to any recruits who don't sign up with the county
- Answer pollworkers' questions, pass questions along to the State Coordinator or CREDO staff when necessary, and make sure that all pre-election protection incidents get reported
- Ensure that pollworkers complete surveys, participate in trainings, etc.
- Be available by phone (and preferably in person) on Election Day to make sure everything is going smoothly for the volunteers in your county
In addition, we'll also ask you to:
- Build relationships with county election officials, and check in on a regular basis to see if they still need more pollworkers; update your State Coordinator on that status
- Participate in periodic conference calls
- Build relationships with other groups doing like-minded work in your county
If this sounds like a job that you would be interested in, please send your answers to the questions below to pollworkers@credoaction.com and we'll get back to you as soon as possible:
- Why are you interested in being a County Coordinator?
- Do you have any previous experience being a pollworker or working with election officials?
- Do you have any previous experience managing volunteers?
- How much time would you anticipate giving to a project like this on a weekly basis?
- Do you have any further questions?
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12. I'm already signed up to be a pollworker - why should I sign up here?
The aim of our project is not only to recruit concerned citizens to work at their local polling place, but also to provide supplemental training and information that will help them prevent any problems or disenfranchisement on Election Day. That means you'll be better prepared for the challenges you might face as a pollworker, and better able to protect the votes of those you serve.
For more information about our training, please go to
http://act.credoaction.com/pollworkers/training.html.We hope that you will also sign up through this website and make use of our additional training materials and training conference call (dates & times TBD) to supplement the training that you receive from your county - and help ensure that you are well prepared to protect the integrity of this upcoming election.