Election Day 2024, Nov. 5 this year, is fast approaching, and polling sites are in need of volunteers. According to the Pew Research Center, most poll workers are older, which leaves polling locations scrambling to find help during election season.
Delaware County poll clerk Rick Spangler encourages young people to work the polls to combat both age division and unfilled positions.
“It's our civic duty,” Spangler said. “The elections in the United States are something more than anywhere else in the world. We do [democracy] better than anyone else …We keep the public involved and the people involved.”
Spangler also said if younger people work the polls, they can see how the voting system works and develop “faith in [the] system” through first-hand experience.
Susan Danner, a volunteer who’s worked the polls for 30 years, said the first-hand experience was a “good way to learn about how elections are run.”
However, Danner said it’s common for older people to work the polls because older generations have more free time.
“… You need to know it’s going to take a lot of time and be prepared for that,” Danner said, adding that depending on the type of election, the sites may be busy or slow.
She also cautioned that once the workers get to the polls — which is around 5 a.m. on Election Day — they can’t leave the site until the polls close around 7 p.m.
“This makes it a long day,” Danner said.
Ashley Nichols, a member of the election board for Delaware County, works for the Delaware County Democrats. Nichols said her job entails calling past poll site workers to see if they want to return to their duties.
But now, as an incentive to get younger high school students to work at polls, Indiana students can use the Hoosier Hall Pass, which allows them to obtain a school absence pardon to work the polls.
Nichols broke down the requirements for being a poll worker in Delaware County: You simply must be a resident registered to vote in the county. She also said poll workers could be paid up to $170 if they complete the required training.
To sign up, contact your County Election Administrator or your local party representative (Democrat or Republican). For more information, visit the Indiana government website to learn more on how to register to work the polls this Election Day.
Contact Shelby Anderson via email at sanderson9@bsu.edu.
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