Tips for being a poll worker?

November 3, 2024 2:52 PM

What did you wish you'd known?

In my infinite wisdom, I signed up to be a poll worker for the first time this election, and they've made me the moderator/warden at a fairly busy polling place and I'm feeling nervous about it.

I attended the training and I'll be reading through the materials one more time, but basically it seems like I'll be the person setting up the day-of stuff at the site in the morning, making sure the ballot machines are working, transporting the ballots back at the end of the day and technically being the top of the hierarchy for the day's team.

It's a fairly busy urban polling place in a pretty blue area in a very blue state (RI). There is a relatively large Spanish-speaking community so materials are bilingual.

I know it's a long day. I'll be bringing lots of snacks and food, comfortable shoes, a charger for my phone and (optimistically, perhaps) a book.

I'm pretty good with technology so I'm not too intimidated by the machines malfunctioning or trying to turn them on or whatever, but I am nervous about all of the detailed little steps like the seals and the keys etc -- I can get flustered when I'm pulled a bunch of different ways.

Looking for tips from people who have done this before! Practical, philosophical-- what do you wish you'd known or thought about?

posted by ambulanceambiance to Grab Bag (23 answers total)

It's been a few years for me but:

There may be people there who have worked at the polls for years but don't particularly know or care what they're doing. I encountered fellow pollworkers who forgot about things like provisional ballots as an option, asked voters for ID in states where it wasn't required, etc (not in a way that felt malicious, just careless or clueless.)
posted by needs more cowbell at 3:20 PM on November 3 [4 favorites]

You do not need to worry about the seals etc. Someone else at your polling place will likely have been doing this exact job for like 15 years and will know it all backwards and forwards. In the event they do not, most precincts will give you a step-by-step guide with a photo of every step you need for opening and closing the polls. They make it truly easy and foolproof-- why, I've been a pollworker in 3 states and what am I if not a fool? And yes, as needs more cowbell says, there are people there because they were voluntold or need the money and they don't care, so you do need to be slightly on the ball if you run into them.

Be ready to shut it down if a voter is trying to start something political. Practice responses like:

I'm so happy you're voting!
Thank you for voting!
Haha, yeah.
That sounds rough! I'm glad you're voting.
Hmmm, I didn't hear about that.
It's too many for me!
I don't know much about that.
I'll take a look later when I'm not working, thanks for the tip!
They really won't let us talk about politics and I need to job, but I appreciate the concern.
It's a lot to think about!
Ope, I have to get back to work [find some busywork to do]

Like, practice them in the mirror until you seem genuine. Also, if you do not already speak Spanish and you think you will run into Spanish monolingual voters, it is nice to have "Thank you for voting! Have a good one!" and some other basic phrases ready to go in Spanish.

I suggest scoping out your polling place beforehand so you know where you might like to take a walk on your break or if there is a convenience store or something where you can get a little treat.

Bring some extra pens, voters accidentally steal them and then you're waiting for the precinct to run you over some pens which takes an absolute age and it grinds everything to a halt. Or, protip: take the cap off the pen and hold onto it when you give voters the pen. People are less likely to steal a pen with no cap. Also bring painter's tape if you have some. There will be things you have to tape up but they probably won't give you enough tape or the tape they give you won't hold all day.

Wear layers, the building where you are may or may not be a comfortable temperature. Since they're usually civic or institutional buildings they're either freezing or boiling, nothing in between. You might also get put outside holding a sign or opening a door or something so be ready to be outside for part of the shift.

If sitting in a metal folding chair bothers you, bring a cushion. And if you have extra Halloween candy you don't want, bring that to share.
posted by blnkfrnk at 3:26 PM on November 3 [17 favorites]

If you're provided scripts and find that voters are confused by what you're telling them, feel free to reword instructions as long as you're being accurate. You might have a ton of people there right as you open, but don't worry, it'll probably be slow most of the day while people are at work. You'll have people show up who were supposed to go to another precinct, keep the prescient lookup map handy in your phone so you can help them find the right place to go.
posted by umwelt at 3:37 PM on November 3

Hey, welcome and thanks in advance for your service! Tuesday will be my fifth election as an election judge for my precinct in Chicago; in addition to endorsing the suggestions above, here's my list.

If you have a handbook or other printed material, bring it - ours has detailed step by step instructions and I use it extensively during setup and teardown.

Consider bringing good wirecutters - the ones the board of elections give us are kinda flimsy.

Definitely bring food and drink, and maybe have a plan for getting more if you run out. We sometimes have enough time to run out to a nearby shop; I sometimes ask my family members that still need to vote to bring me more water bottles and take the empties back home. This of course depends on where you're located and whether you have any backup within range.

Also consider either preprogramming the help numbers for your board of elections into your phone or bookmarking them in your handbook; here in Chicago we have separate numbers for technical assistance, supply needs and procedural questions.

If you're supervising a group of poll workers, consider asking them in advance if they'd like to rotate positions so no one gets stuck doing the same thing all day. In our precinct we tend to switch every two or three hours so everyone gets a chance to check people in, hand out ballots, supervise the ballot scanner, etc. - your stations may vary.

Best wishes - hope it goes smoothly!
posted by sencha at 4:36 PM on November 3 [3 favorites]

Program the municipality clerk's number (or analogue -- whoever's in charge of Election Stuff for your area) into your phone. You are NOT on your own if a situation comes up that you're not sure of the rules for!
posted by humbug at 4:38 PM on November 3 [2 favorites]

I always bring some blue masking tape and scissors for helping to put the signs in the morning. Yes, it's usually provided, I like having my own and being able to go at my own speed without sharing or even sharing is needed, there's a backup.

Check with your poll manager about when things will be set. Often the entire setup happens between 6am -7am, so it's sort of a mad, all hands on deck rush (hence my own supplies).

Figure out if the location has a fridge.

See if there's a friend or family member who can bring you something to eat that day. Sure, you can pack something, but having something hot and fresh can be a mental upbeat for the day.

See what your weather is going to be like, bring rain gear anyway.

Bring lots of breath mints, for you and others.

Have your own pens.

During that hour of setup talk to the other workers, let'em know you're new. More than likely several will be helpful and make it clear they're a resource. Know the chain of command, like who the manager is and who the assistant manager is (if there is one).

Bring a positive attitude, that helps a lot!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:50 PM on November 3

Some of those tasks are done by the head judge in my precinct in another state. There should be very specific instructions written out for you when it comes to sealing up things. You are going to have other people there to help, so be sure to look to the ones with experience. You should have a phone number to call for your county or state offices. Be prepared to delegate tasks to other workers if they seem like they can handle them. If you feel yourself getting flustered, ask people to give you a minute and do one thing at a time. It is a long day and you have plenty of time at the end to get everything finished up.
posted by soelo at 5:01 PM on November 3

Bring extras of whatever COVID prophylactics you favor. I always bring a big ziploc bag of n95s.

Dressing in layers is smart. Never can tell what the HVAC will be like.
posted by humbug at 5:30 PM on November 3 [2 favorites]

Sounds like you are a keymaster in New York. That's what I do, too.
It's a pretty easy job and very satisfying. You'll do fine. You will get thanked by many voters.

The hard part [for me] is the endurance and the logistics of the very long day on your feet.

I'm going to bed in a few minutes to get extra sleep.
My report time is 5:15 am and I won't be home until 9:20ish.

Take snacks, plenty of them.
Wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
You won't sit much, but when you do, your chair may be very hard. Some folks bring cushions.

If it were a primary, I'd say definitely bring a book for downtime. This time, you won't need one as much, but it can't hurt to have one.
posted by Glomar response at 5:49 PM on November 3 [1 favorite]

Local government attorney here. Thanks for your work! If ANYTHING comes up you aren't sure about, be friendly and say you just need to check with your clerk. They will know the answer and if they don't, I'm sitting there at their beck and call to research it. Dress in layers, bring snacks to share, and feel confident that you can do this and you're doing a good thing for America.
posted by notjustthefish at 6:49 PM on November 3 [5 favorites]

It’s a really long day and you’re either on your feet or in an uncomfortable chair. Remember to stretch and stay flexible. If you’re sitting and you get a chance to stand and walk around, do that. If you’re on your feet all the time and you can sit for a few minutes, do that. And since you’ll probably arrive before sunrise and leave after sunset, take a break to get outside in the daylight, if you can.
posted by fedward at 7:29 PM on November 3

Double-check your key/keypad access to the polling place, so that you are sure you can gain entry when you plan to begin setting up Tuesday morning. And that you know how to turn off any burglar alarms. (And steps to secure the building, if the election workers are to be the last ones out.)
posted by Snerd at 7:51 PM on November 3

Having done this in the UK for a few years, and In addition to what we mentioned above:

Bring a variety of foods with a variety of food textures for the day, and try to make sure they're not particularly stinky (for your colleagues). Ideally some extras that can be shared with your colleagues as well.
Same with bringing a variety of drinks, and a couple of refilable water bottles.

Possibly bring your own kettle and some mugs.

Magazines tend to be better than books for reading and stopping mid article when someone comes in.

Switching around the room to different roles can certainly help make things more interesting over the long day.

Possibly bring some of your own toilet paper, if the default stuff on-site is like the cheap plastic none absorbent type.

As others mentioned layers of clothing are helpful for as the day progresses, but be cautious of potentially wearing colours that show political affiliation.

Don't plan to do too much yourself for the day after.
posted by many-things at 1:48 AM on November 4 [1 favorite]

Identify your experienced election officials as soon as possible. Ideally today, if you haven't already. It's fine to let them know you're new and will need help. Some may hold that against you, given that you're apparently supposed to be in charge, but it's better to know who they are because eventually they'd figure it out anyway. Others will be super helpful. Often there's someone who totally could do your job but who has been resisting a promotion because of the extra responsibility. Let them do as much as they're willing to: delegating is a very valid strategy! Along with this: learn names! It can be a huge divide if they all know one another, or get to know one another, and you don't/haven't because your brain is too full of everything else. At least knowing names is an excellent start.

Overall, remember: all honest mistakes can be rectified if you report and document them thoroughly. Communicate clearly and promptly with the municipal clerk's office if anything regarding the seals, machine functionality, or polling place access (slippery sidewalks, fire alarm, police presence, etc.) goes awry. Nothing is as big of an emergency as it may feel. If anything goes wrong, voters appreciate simple and clear information about what's happening. "Our voting machine is jammed. It'll probably take ten minutes to clear. You're welcome to wait, but if you need to leave, you may put your voted ballot in the override bin." Or whatever. You're just there to facilitate the process. If anyone's really upset, refer them to the municipal clerk's office. Or give them paper for submitting written remarks! It's surprisingly effective, and you can just send it in with everything else at the end of the night.
posted by teremala at 5:43 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]

I’m processing votes for our county Auditor’s office (that’s who runs elections in my state).
You mention that you get flustered by details and “fiddley” stuff. That’s okay, lots of people do - when you feel yourself getting that way, take a few deep breaths, and consciously SLOW DOWN. This will restore your focus on the details, and give you the confidence to complete the task.
Absolutely have your procedures document handy, you may not need it, but if you do, it will provide you and the voters with confidence.
Thank you for doing this!!
posted by dbmcd at 7:00 AM on November 4

Echoing the first comment, manage your expectations about your fellow volunteers. Some may be excellent, others may not be. If you are in the position of managing the crew, try to clock early who your stars are and who may need a bit of help. It should be fairly obvious. When I was a pollworker, there were quite a few folks who had good intentions, but weren't great with new procedures, following instructions, going the extra mile for a tough situation -- as well as some who would be happy to do those things but had low vision, low hearing, etc. It was evident very quickly that we needed to match more skilled volunteers with less skilled volunteers to be able to keep things moving for voters and not create bottlenecks at various stages of the process. Look out for those opportunities and don't be afraid to to empower people who are good at a specific something to take a really active role in doing that thing instead of the thing they may not be so great at. Some people are much better greeters, thankers, sticker givers, than they are technical problem solvers.
posted by luzdeluna at 7:16 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]

(One minor note, in Minneapolis, we strongly discourage people from straying from the scripts, so if you have them, I encourage you to keep your team using them.)

Absolutely agree that if you aren't certain, call. There will be support and they are very used to getting all kinds of calls.

About an hour before closing, reread all your closing materials. I like to setup a closing table with all my envelopes and checklists. Make some notes about where you find each thing on the checklist. Assign closing task a few hours before and tell each group what they are responsible for giving you or putting away. You want to focus on getting all the pieces in the right place, don't take any other task besides this when closing.
posted by advicepig at 7:42 AM on November 4

Take every chance to lean on a wall or sit on a chair. Grab every opportunity to hydrate. Once an hour, mentally pat yourself on the back for getting through another hour.

When I did event security, the advice we were given is that peoples' bad behaviour directed at you is nothing personal; it's the vest. It's the vest, not you; you're just wearing it for now. And that vest means you're part of a team; you are not alone here.

Working polls, we got the same advice, only with more caution advised. And a badge instead of a vest.

In some peoples' eyes you're the representation of their internal problems. That helps explain bad behaviour somewhat, but it does not give them a pass. The badge represents your responsibility to treat others fairly, and your authority to act when things get tricky. Feel free to do so, and draw on your team if needed.
posted by Hardcore Poser at 9:45 AM on November 4 [3 favorites]

I was a poll worker once and it was really overwhelming for me. I did not expect to be absolutely screamed at by an old man, who didn’t know how the new voting machines worked, and even though I had the “republican” badge on (it was in NYC and I don’t even think there were any republicans working at my poll site), and he literally voted for the republican candidate on multiple party lines, and I had to explain his error to him, he cursed me out violently for trying to take away his republican rights. I started crying and I had to take one of my mandated breaks, which really was disheartening, because I was there from 5 am to 2 am, and had planned my breaks very carefully. I didn’t expect to be hit on while people were voting either. It was such a long day, and I would just go in with a bit of a barrier up, and try not to let people get to you. Take breaks whenever you can, and if possible, have someone bring you a hot meal like soup, or even tea or coffee with some caffeine as it’s going to be a long day, and it’ll be so nice to have someone deliver you a warm meal or beverage. Sorry if that’s a bit rambley of an answer, but I wish I had known how many things can go sideways, especially if you just expect people to go in, vote, and leave immediately after. I’d imagine with the tension of this election, it might even be worse. I do hope things go smoothly for you, but I’d say expect the unexpected, keep a bit of a barrier up, roll with the punches, take those breaks, and get that caffeine and warm meal!
posted by Champagne Supernova at 10:16 AM on November 4

When I did this in 2016, someone in the community ordered us a large pizza. I remember that pizza SO fondly.

If you have election anxiety otherwise, bring a fidget or have a mantra in mind or whatever, just in case you start hear news reports about things going on an upsetting direction. (In 2016, around 5pm, I learned that Trump was in the lead and literally walked outside to lie down in the grass.)

I would like to echo what others said above - if you realize you’re better/faster at a particular task than your coworker, the time act is NOW. Don’t make voters wait longer than they need to because you’re afraid of hurting someone’s feelings while they take 4 minutes to find someone’s name in an alphabetical voter book.
posted by samthemander at 10:57 AM on November 4

No particular advice, I'll just say that for me personally--I really enjoy doing this and recommend it to everyone. People on the whole are great and fun to be around and thankful for our work, from the voters to fellow poll workers, to the permanent staff (who are calm and competent and seem to have seen everything and always know what to do.)

I've got plenty of election anxiety--but none about my work tomorrow, which I'm looking forward to.

I hope it goes as well for you as it always has for me!
posted by bfields at 11:54 AM on November 4 [2 favorites]

I've done this a few times now for UK elections as a poll clerk and would agree with most of the above, certainly in terms of snacks, drinks, moving around when things are quieter and swapping roles. We can chat briefly to people about anything but politics, so I've spoken to some lovely people over the years. Enjoy that aspect if you can.

Also, there are possibly going to be peaks and troughs - before and after work, school drop off and pick up times - so plan accordingly.

Make sure you are familiar with the voting aids for people with disabilities and the procedure for assisting people who have impaired vision.
posted by Martha My Dear Prudence at 4:18 PM on November 4

Wear comfortable shoes. Bring blister bandages, ibuprofen, and Tylenol. Unless you happen to get a sitting position or are used to being on your feet all day, your feet will hurt SO MUCH by the end.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:50 PM on November 4