Needed: More poll workers

By Barbara Rodriguez, The 19th
Originally published by The 19th

A surge in voter registrations following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 race is putting a spotlight on the need for poll workers — a temporary workforce that will be critical to running a smooth election on November 5.

Efforts to recruit poll workers also come at a time of heightened focus on the safety of election administrators and others stationed at polling precincts and ballot counting sites.

Civic engagement groups and election officials have been encouraging more everyday people to sign up to be poll workers. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), a federal agency that helps oversee elections issues, has deemed Thursday as National Poll Worker Recruitment Day for a collective day of action.

“The 2024 elections landscape has changed dramatically on a weekly, daily and sometimes hourly basis for the last month, and likely will continue to in the coming weeks,” said Marta Hanson with Power the Polls, a nonpartisan organization that helps recruit poll workers. “The one thing that will stay consistent, and the one thing that will stay true, is the need for the election itself to run smoothly.”