Indiana Secretary of State seeking poll workers for November election

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales is asking Hoosiers to step up and help work the polls during November’s general election.

According to a news release from the Indiana Secretary of State’s office, Morales urges eligible Hoosiers to serve as a poll worker for Election Day on Nov. 5. Thursday’s announcement comes in recognition of National Poll Worker Recruitment Day.

The office states that the state of Indiana needs as many as 20,000 poll workers “to administer efficient, trustworthy elections,” stressing that these workers help “maintain the integrity and smooth operation” of the state’s elections.

“Recruiting dedicated poll workers is essential for the success of our elections.  Elections statewide rely on committed Hoosiers who are helping to ensure every vote is counted accurately and efficiently,” Morales said in the release. “I urge all eligible Hoosiers to step forward and serve their community in this critical role. Your participation helps uphold the integrity of our electoral process.”

Indiana poll workers have to meet two requirements:

• Poll workers must be registered voters and a resident of the county in which they wish to work.
• Poll workers must be at least 18 years old. Students who are 16 and 17 years old may apply for poll worker positions under the Hoosier Hall Pass program.

The release said that workers will receive required training and can earn compensation for working on Election Day, depending on the county. There are a number of duties that poll workers are tasked with, including:

• Setting up and preparing the polling location
• Welcoming voters
• Verifying voter registrations
• Issuing ballots.

For more information. and to sign up to be a poll worker, Hoosiers are able to contact their local election office. The contact information can be found here .

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