AUGUSTA — On National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows is encouraging Mainers to sign up to serve as poll workers in the upcoming Nov. 7 Referendum Election.
“Serving as a poll worker is a great way for Mainers to be involved in their community in a meaningful way,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “Poll workers also get an firsthand look at the many checks and balances built into our election system here in Maine as we work to keep our elections safe, secure, accessible and accurate.”
Mainers interested in serving as poll workers should contact their municipal clerk to sign up. A list of municipal clerk contact information is available at www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/munic.html.
To be eligible to serve, Mainers must be registered voters, or be pre-registered 16 or 17 year olds. Mainers may serve in the community they live in, or another town or city in their county. Maine law requires equal numbers of poll workers from each major political party in each municipality – one of the safeguards built into our election system to ensure fair election administration.
Duties and tasks assigned to poll workers will vary, but several are standard at many polling places:
Checking in voters at the Incoming Voting List check-in table
Distributing ballots to voters
Monitoring the tabulator or ballot box
Helping tally results at the end of the night
In some communities poll workers are paid and in some they serve as volunteers.
Mainers can learn more about serving as poll workers at www.maineelectionworkers.org.