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Poll workers needed

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Christian County needs poll workers, especially Democrats, so please consider signing up to volunteer on Election Day.

To sign up, you may fill out a form online or just contact the Christian County Clerk’s office (100 West Church, Room 304, Ozark, MO 65721, 417-582-4340).

Duties

Poll workers must arrive at their designated polling place at 5 a.m. on the morning of the election. You will help set up signs and computers and be sworn in. Doors open for voters at 6 a.m., Tuesday, Nov. 3.

As a Democrat, you will be paired with a Republican poll worker. A Democrat (or Independent) and a Republican should always be together when helping a voter.

Polls close at 7 p.m. (although any voter in line at 7 p.m. is allowed to vote). When the polls close, you will be asked to help with important procedural duties to complete the voting process, protect the integrity of all the cast ballots and help get the results back to the main office. This often takes another hour of work. It’s a long day, but well worth it for our fellow citizens!

For more information of poll worker duties, please see Serving as a Poll Worker and/or Work Elections Project: Learn How to Become a Poll Worker.

All poll workers must attend a training session before Election Day! Training sessions for the Nov. 3 election are on Oct. 26 & 27. Check with the Christian County Clerk’s Office for times and signing up!

Compensation

Poll workers are paid for their service on Election Day and for attending a training session prior to Election Day. Your local election authority determines how much you will be paid, but this year most Christian County poll workers received $200 for working Election Day (about a 15-hour day) and a training session beforehand. (Supervisory judges receive a bit more as well as a mileage reimbursement.)

Qualifications

In order to be a poll worker, you must:

  • Be a registered voter

  • Be able to speak, read and write English

  • Not appear on the current ballot or have a close relative appear on the current ballot

  • Not hold elective office at the time of service as a poll worker

Exceptions to the elective office provision include:

  • Political party committee

  • Township office

  • Board or commission member of a political subdivision or special district (unless an issue or candidate relevant to that entity is on the ballot where you are working)


This information comes from the Missouri Secretary of State and the Work Elections Project, a non-partisan, non-profit program of the Fair Elections Center.