• By Jacob Wright
• Posted Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Support Your Community - Be a Pollworker!

The Forsyth County Board of Elections is currently recruiting residents to serve as pollworkers for the 2010 Election Cycle. The requirements are that you are 18 years of age and a registered voter in Forsyth County. Elections in 2010 are scheduled for May 4, 2010 - Primary Election, June 22, 2010 - Second Primary (if necessary) and November 2, 2010 – General Election.

The day begins at 6:00 a.m. to help set up the polling place. Voting starts at 6:30 a.m. and ends at 7:30 p.m. Poll workers must remain at the precinct until all voters in line have been processed and all reports are completed.

We need community service minded individuals who can make the needed time commitment, and perform the duties expected of a pollworker. Available positions include: Chief Judge, Judge, Assistant, Student Election Assistant and Election Staff Assistant (ESA). Training is provided prior to each election.

Working at the polls is a good way for people to become directly involved in the political process, meet their neighbors and provide a real service to the community. You can play a critical role in the elections process in Forsyth County. To make a difference, Apply Online or call our office at 336-703-2800 today!

Compensation for precinct officials:
Training for all officials: $20.00
Plus for your service on Election Day:
  Chief Judge: $180.00
  Judge: $130.00
  Assistants and Student Election Assistants $100.00
  Election Staff Assistant: $200.00 + mileage (paid at current
      county rate per mile)

Duties include:

Chief Judge
- Contacting the polling place & pollworker team prior to election day
- Overseeing your assigned precinct on Election Day
- Setting up your precinct Election Day
- Picking up and returning supplies prior to and after Election Day
- Delivering Results to the Board of Elections office after close of polls

Judge
- Assisting precinct setup
- Checking in voters on Election Day
- Issuing Ballots
- Verifying voter address and party information

Assistants and Student Election Assistants
- Serve as needed at the discretion of the Chief Judge
- May be asked to assist with curbside voting
- May perform duties of a judge as needed in the absence of a judge
- Attend training if request by the Chief Judge (students are
      required to attend a training class)

Election Staff Assistants
- Must have reliable transportation
- Serve as machine technicians
- Oversee several precincts on Election Day
- Verify each assigned precinct is in compliance with N.C Law
- Driving in excess of 100 miles is a probability with this position
- Must be available on Monday morning before Election Day to follow
      route trucks and deliver poll books (mileage will be paid)
- Must be available 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM on Election Day
- Great attention to detail is required of this position

The Board of Elections is also looking for people to work different shifts at one-stop absentee voting sites. Some workers will be required to work on the weekends. Staff hired will need computer experience working with a computer in a Windows environment. People working will be looking up voters in the county’s voter registration system and processing their absentee application. It can be a high pressure situation when the lines get very long.

If you are interested in serving in any area, please apply online or call the Board of Elections at 703-2800. You can work both as a poll worker and at a one-stop voting site.