Poll Workers Needed in Upcoming Election

The Office of Voter Registration and Elections is looking for interested individuals to serve as election officials (commonly called poll workers) in the upcoming Nov. 8 election. It takes up to 1,500 individuals to staff the 100 current precincts in our community, however the office only has 1,159 poll workers available.

This crucial, but often overlooked role in our election process consists of dedicated citizens who show up and ensure that our elections are conducted efficiently, professionally and securely. Poll workers are compensated for their work, earning $162 for election day, plus $20 to attend the required training.

Poll workers come from all walks of life and have any number of reasons for participating in the election process. Some do it out of a sense of civic duty (the longest serving poll worker in our community has been doing it for 52 years!), others are curious about how an election works behind the scenes, and some are there to make a little extra money.

A complete list of qualifications can be found online at www.VBgov.com/Election-Official, but in general election officials must:

• Be a U.S. citizen at least 18-years-old and a registered voter in the Commonwealth of Virginia
• Be able to work on a computer to check in voters
• Choose a political party to represent on election day only to ensure each precinct is appropriately staffed
• Not hold an elected office or be the employee of an elected official
• Be available to work the entire Election Day
• Have a courteous, professional and helpful attitude
• Be able to speak, read and write English
• Have patience!

In addition to the full list of qualifications, the required forms to apply can be found on the same website mentioned previously. For any questions or concerns, please contact the Office of Voter Registration and Elections at 757-385-8683 or voter@vbgov.com.