Awareness day established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission aims to address critical shortage of paid election workers amid COVID-19
Fresno County Office of Elections announced today that they will be participating in National Poll Worker Recruitment Day on September 1 to encourage more people to sign up to become election workers for the November election. Fresno County is looking to recruit an additional 500+ paid workers for the upcoming election.
Established by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, National Poll Worker Recruitment Day aims to raise awareness about the benefits and importance of poll working and inspire more Americans to work at voting locations.
“Election workers are an important part of the of the voting process and right now we’re facing a critical shortage here in Fresno County,” said Fresno County Registrar of Voters Brandi Orth. “Recruiting election workers is a challenge for many election officials across the country and the COVID-19 pandemic has made this need even more critical. We encourage Fresno County residents who are able to work during the four days that Vote Centers will be open, to apply to work.”
Election workers will be tasked with welcoming voters, verifying voters are registered, assisting new voters to register, and issuing ballots. Election workers will also help ensure voters understand the voting process by demonstrating how to use voting equipment and explaining voting procedures. Election workers are recruited and overseen by the Fresno County Office of Elections, which provides information and training to election workers in advance of Election Day.
Amid COVID-19, Fresno County is facing a critical shortage of election workers. Even amid the Voter’s Choice Act and expanded access to vote-by-mail options, many Fresno County residents, especially voters with disabilities, will continue to rely on in-person voting to cast a ballot. Fresno County will follow Centers for Disease Control guidelines to create safe voting environments at all in-person voting locations.
In the past, many election workers have traditionally been over the age of 60, making them especially vulnerable to complications if they contract COVID-19. This has resulted in a critical need for election workers who are willing and able to assist with the administration of in-person voting on Election Day.
By encouraging more people to become election workers in their communities, National Poll Worker Recruitment Day aims to address the critical shortage of poll workers, strengthen our democracy, inspire greater civic engagement, and help ensure free and fair elections in November and beyond.
For more information about how to become an election worker in Fresno County, visit FresnoCountyJobs.com.
Fresno County Newsroom 