We at OTYCD are repeating this post because while many areas around the country now have more than enough poll workers, other cities and towns are still in need. If you are able and healthy, please consider working the polls this year.

*Be a poll worker on Election Day.

COVID-19 has played havoc with our lives. It’s also threatening to wreak havoc on the act of voting in person.

Not just in the obvious way, either. Yes, the threat of getting sick with a nasty airborne disease is forcing many to seek alternatives to voting at the polls. It’s also forcing veteran poll-workers to bow out of this go-round.

Most poll workers are above the age of 60. The older you are, the more vulnerable you are to catching COVID-19. Many who happily serve their communities in this way have had to say no in 2020, for their own safety.

The need for replacement volunteers is real and pressing.

If you are able to volunteer to work the polls in November, please do.

You’ll need to undergo training, and you should receive appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). Though poll workers are described as volunteers, many receive payment.

If you’re too young to vote, you might still be old enough to serve as a poll worker. In some areas, they can be as young as sixteen.

If you work at Target, Old Navy, Microsoft, or other companies that belong to the Civic Alliance, your employer will support you in poll-working with paid time off and similar benefits.

(See this September 10, 2020 Vox article, which names several companies that have pledged to help poll worker recruitment efforts: https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/9/10/21428934/companies-pay-employees-poll-workers-2020)

The United States Election Assistance Commission’s page for Poll Worker Recruitment Day contains a link that will help you find poll worker opportunities in your home state:

https://www.eac.gov/help-america-vote

You can also follow the @BeAPollWorker handle on Twitter.

The Power to the Polls organization hopes to recruit 250,000 people to serve as election site volunteers. See its website:

https://www.powerthepolls.org/?source=WhenWeAllVote

See the Power to the Polls About Us page:

https://www.powerthepolls.org/about

See the Power to the Polls FAQ about poll-working:

https://www.powerthepolls.org/faq

*A note: We at OTYCD don’t generally ask you to do something we wouldn’t do ourselves. Sarah Jane, the lead writer and editor for OTYCD, can’t volunteer to work the polls in 2020. So, this post represents an exception to the rule. If you can’t work the polls, please spread the word to people who can.

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