As November 8, Election Day, looms closer, election and voter support organizations in local communities are scrambling to fill administrative and customer service positions to support voting and voters. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, in a typical national election cycle, local officials operate nearly one-quarter million early and day-of polling places across the country, staffed by more than 900,000 election workers.
Boards of elections also need staff to help manage everything that happens before Election Day, like assembling voter information packets, handling voter registration questions, setting up early voting sites, sending out mail-in ballots and supporting election officials.
Election workers are essential to help ensure voting is carried out successfully, everywhere and for every voter. But during the most recent midterm election in 2018, two-thirds of local election officials had difficulty finding the workers they needed. In this election season, officials also battle a very tight labor market.
The good news is, for anyone looking for immediate contract work, these roles are readily available and can suit people with various lifestyles and work histories. That includes retirees, students, gig workers and others who want or need some flexibility since many of these jobs are part-time and require little or no experience.
Here are five of the most in-demand election worker jobs and their typical duties.
General office/customer service/data entry specialist/front desk coordinator
Answer calls from voters requesting absentee ballots and help with administrative functions of the vote-by-mail ballot process. Update addresses, political affiliation changes or other pertinent voter registration information and enter data into the internal system. Staff the front desk to serve walk-in clients. On Election Night, join the team retrieving and sorting paper ballots and paper directions provided to voters during the voting process.
Administrative assistant
Perform office and general routine clerical work. Compile information and sort documents. Receive and distribute correspondence and sort, index file, and retrieve forms and documents. Copy and scan documents in preparation for election boards and polling place locations. Provide executive support for key election officials.
Recruiter
Recruit polling staff from the community to staff early voting and Election Day polling sites. Entry-level candidates are encouraged to apply since the Election Board closely supervises them.
Satellite team lead
Lead a small team of election administrative staff and assist them with scanning and filling envelopes, ensuring data accuracy and answering questions from registered voters who stop in or call the local satellite branch.
Poll workers
On early voting days and Election Day, keep voting lines flowing and organized. Help voters check in and confirm they are at the correct precinct. Direct voters to voting machines and provide instructions.
