These Election Day Poll Workers Have Been Showing Up for Decades. Here’s Why​

Smith, who started poll working in 1994, says camaraderie between coworkers is also a major draw. He typically works with seven other people, one of whom has been by his side on Election Day for 15 years. “I couldn’t do it without her,” he says.

In a role that requires spending many hours in the same room, it’s not uncommon to make lasting friends. In May, Susan Alenick celebrated her 85th birthday with two of her fellow poll workers. Across 26 years serving Burlington, Vermont, she says she’s created her own community.

“We’ve become very much a family, and we’re all different political parties,” Alenick says. “We don’t all agree on things, but we’re all there for the same reason, and we all care tremendously.” 

Sometimes the experience truly becomes a family affair. One person in the family will sign up, and pretty soon other family members are inspired — or recruited — to sign up too. Rosa Byrd, 81, started serving as a poll worker in Alexandria, Virginia, roughly 40 years ago. Today both her daughter and granddaughter work alongside her in Precinct 106.

“They followed in my footsteps, and I’m proud,” Byrd says. “I’m African American. [Historically] people were not allowed to vote, and I feel like I’m still standing strong for the people to know we have a right to participate in this country.”

Rosa Byrd, who serves as a poll worker in Alexandria, Virginia, says the job keeps her sharp.

Cara Taylor

A civic duty that keeps you sharp

Many poll workers voice a strong commitment to democracy. They see their role as essential to upholding free and fair elections.

“I feel like I’m doing a service for my country and my community,” says Gerald Robertson, 89, of Rochester, Illinois, a poll worker of more than two decades. “Where I work, we do everything the way it’s supposed to be done, and it makes me proud that I’ve done my little part to protect the constitutional right to vote.”

Robertson says he’s enjoyed learning about the election system, noting that he feels most people “don’t have a clue” what poll workers do. “If we didn’t have someone looking over the voting process, it’d be a mess,” he says.

There is a wide array of election protocols, including operation of voting machines, voter check-in requirements and proper ballot handling. New state laws often create changes to the process, and those who work the polls usually gain a deeper appreciation for the complexities around voting.

“It helps to keep you sharp as you age,” Byrd says, noting that her daughter and granddaughter are her inspiration when it comes to learning about voting-related technology. “I don’t learn the computer as fast, so they’re there and we work together as a team.”

Most poll workers go through training led by election officials. According to the NCSL, laws in 42 states require at least some workers at every site to undergo training. Thirty-five states, two territories and the District of Columbia mandate training for all poll workers.

Training sessions are generally viewed as a necessary educational opportunity, and while they are a time to reconnect with former colleagues, it’s an added responsibility. The duties of a poll worker often begin not in the wee hours of Election Day, but in the days or weeks before. 

Since 2020, many jurisdictions have added de-escalation training as part of the curriculum. It’s designed to help poll workers manage tense situations that may arise in today’s political landscape, although those who recruit poll workers say events calling for that training are fortunately uncommon.

“While harassment and threats are very real, the actual incidences of those things happening  … are actually incredibly rare,” says Marta Hanson, national program manager for Power the Polls, a nonpartisan initiative to recruit poll workers. ”The vast majority of the poll workers that we hear from have positive experiences.” 

Alenick says the political climate hasn’t caused a problem for her. More often a voter might get grumpy over basic procedures, she says. “The things that I find that set people off aren’t usually political in a strict sense,” Alenick says. “There are funny things that will trigger people, [like], ‘Why do I have to exit from that door?’ ”

Karen Long, 76, has missed only one election since she started working as a poll worker in Lewiston, Idaho, 20 years ago.

Margaret Albaugh

Added financial benefit

The pay isn’t typically the strongest motivator for poll workers who return year after year, but for those on fixed incomes, it can come in handy. 

“It’s not a large compensation, but it’s something that says you’re appreciated,” says Long, who is paid $12 an hour and didn’t become a poll worker until she retired. 

Robertson says the $220 he makes per day is part of what keeps him coming back for shifts that can last as long as 15 hours. He plans to continue as long as he’s mentally and physically able. 

“[It] makes me as proud as being in the military,” says Robertson, who served in the U.S. Army and the Air National Guard.

Sense of accomplishment

Like Robertson, many poll workers feel a sense of pride in their work and fulfillment by being involved in a moment considered pivotal to democracy. Often voters share their gratitude with poll workers for their service.

“Being thanked by a couple of thousand people, two or three times a year, is good for the ego — it really is,” Alenick says. 

As a ward clerk, the top-ranking position in her polling district, Alenick has worked as late as 2 a.m. on some election nights. Like Long, she turns to cookies — always chocolate chip — to get her through. But what really keeps her energized is knowing she’s helping people exercise their right to vote. She says she’s witnessed elections where just two votes decided the outcome.

“It’s the idea of all of these people doing something that’s so meaningful,” says Alenick. “Especially at my age, there’s very little that can give you that sense of being part of something so big and amazing, and this does it.”