Plymouth Needs Poll Workers!
“We need the people of Plymouth to step up and help out,” said Ms. Dittman. “If you are a state, county or municipal employee, a teacher, a student or someone who is looking for temporary work, we need your help.”
Municipal clerks will provide training for any new election inspectors before the election.
The Wisconsin Elections Commission and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services are working to provide local election officials with guidance for ways to conduct the election safely and securely.
Voter turnout at the polling place is expected to be much lower than normal, but workers are still needed to process a much higher number of absentee ballots than normal.
How to Serve as a Poll Worker in Wisconsin
In Wisconsin, poll workers, also known as election inspectors, are appointed at the municipal level. Anyone who is interested in working should contact their municipal clerk’s office.
Municipal clerks will provide training for any new election inspectors before the election and online training is available through the WEC, if needed. Poll workers will also be supplied with personal protective equipment and public health procedures designed to keep voters and poll workers safe have been developed and provided as training.
What are the responsibilities of a poll worker?
Poll workers conduct assigned duties at a polling site on Election Day. Duties can include issuing ballots to registered voters, registering voters, monitoring the voting equipment, explaining how to mark the ballot or use the voting equipment, or counting votes.
Other positions at a polling place include a greeter who assists with answering questions and directing voters to the voting area, an election registration official to a polling place to register voters, and tabulators to assist at the polling place after it closes.
What are the hours of work?
Polling places are open statewide from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Poll workers can work a full day, generally from 6:30 a.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m. or later in the case of November elections. In many municipalities, election inspectors can work a split shift.
Are poll workers (election inspectors) paid or volunteers?
Poll workers are compensated for working at polling places at a rate determined by the appropriate municipal governing body, and, in some municipalities, are also compensated for attending any required training sessions. Poll workers may also choose to volunteer their services by filing a written declination of compensation with the municipal clerk
What length of commitment will be expected?
Poll workers are usually appointed to two-year terms and are generally asked to make a minimum two-year commitment. However, given the current circumstances volunteers for only the November 3 election are appreciated and they will not be expected to meet the full two-year commitment.
What are the qualifications to be a poll worker (election inspector)?
To be a poll worker, a person must:
- Be a qualified elector of the county in which the municipality is located (i.e., an adult citizen of the United States who has resided in the election district for 28 consecutive days and is not otherwise disqualified to vote)
- Be able to read and write fluently in the English language
- NOT be a candidate for any office to be voted on at the polling place at that election.
Can I be excused from my regular job to be a poll worker?
Wisconsin law requires every employer to grant an unpaid leave of absence to each employee who is appointed to serve as an election official, if the employee who serves as an election official provides their employer with at least seven days’ notice. The leave is for the entire 24-hour period of each election day in which the employee serves in their official capacity as an election official. Upon request of any employer municipal clerks must verify appointments.
To apply visit:https://plymouthgov.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Job-Application-Chief-Election-Inspector-Election-Inspector-20.01.06.pdf