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Four years ago, we were both eager to be a part of democracy in action and get involved with the 2020 elections in our hometowns. One of us, Mallory, worked alongside veteran poll workers who had been serving for over 20 years in her hometown of Rome, Georgia. The other, Abhi, worked at a polling station in downtown Detroit, Michigan. What may surprise you is that, at the time, neither of us was old enough to vote! In our home states of Michigan and Georgia — as well as most other states — you can become a poll worker at 16 or 17.
Being a poll worker is an amazing way to see how elections work up close and even get paid (plus, it’s a great experience for your resume). Having as many poll workers available as possible around the country means that more polling places can remain open, and that wait times and voting lines are shorter. If you’re looking for a productive, helpful and nonpartisan way to spend your time on Election Day, sign up to be a paid poll worker to help the people in your community vote.
One of the most rewarding parts of being a poll worker is getting to connect with neighbors in your community you might not have met otherwise. Throughout Election Day in 2020, Abhi met voters from all walks of life who counted on him to help them carry out their civic duty smoothly — from people rushing in on their short lunch breaks to a mom trying to keep her two young kids from running all over while she filled out her ballot. Mallory bonded with her fellow poll workers across deep differences in age, political views, faith, and socioeconomic backgrounds. During their lunch break, Mallory and her team shared homemade banana bread and discussed the common ground they shared over the importance of local elections, nonpartisan politics, and voter participation for making change in their community.
We all know how scary it can be to do something for the first time — especially something as consequential as voting. As a poll worker, you’ll get a front-row view of how elections work. You’ll get trained on the local rules and protocols, so you know exactly how to help voters and how to respond to any questions that arise. You get to be the one to help voters — especially new voters — feel comfortable. And at the end of the day, you get to watch the results come in with pride: you made this happen for hundreds of voters!
As high school and college poll workers, we’ve also seen how important it is to have poll workers who are comfortable with technology. Each of us was the youngest person at our polling station, and many of the older poll workers were grateful that we could use the iPads and other technology to check in voters with ease.
We both got connected to our poll worker opportunities via Power the Polls — which Abhi heard about from The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, and Mallory from a local League of Women Voters chapter. Power the Polls is a nonpartisan initiative focused on recruiting the next generation of poll workers, and they help you find your local poll worker application and requirements (and how much you get paid!). We’ve been excited to see more recognition of the importance of poll workers over the last few years, with celebrities like Billie Eilish and Kerry Washington encouraging more people to sign up and take this crucial action for our democracy.
This year, as college students getting ready for our first time voting in a presidential election, we’re excited to make our voices heard in determining the country’s future. We also both feel a lot more confident casting our ballots as voters because we’ve been on the other side of the table and we know what to expect.
So we’re asking any young person who is able and who cares about our elections to do what we did: sign up to be a poll worker through Power the Polls today. Together, we can make a difference in our democracy, ensure that our elections run smoothly, and give all voters the chance to make their voices heard, regardless of who they are or where they live.
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