Job Description of an Election Judge
An election judge is responsible for overseeing operations at polling places and making sure proper protocol is followed on election day. The official must be a registered voter and must work in polling places that are within his or her voting precinct. Election judges receive a moderate amount of money for working on election day. Counties can determine how much they will pay election judges, but many municipalities pay around $130 to $150 per day.
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Make a Time Commitment
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An election judge is responsible for committing a certain period of time to the position. Some municipalities require potential election judges to commit to serving for a two-year appointment. Other municipalities require election judges only commit to one election at a time. Being an election judge typically requires a time commitment of 12 to 15 hours on election day.
Understand Election Laws
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All election judges are required to take and pass an election training course. The course is typically only a couple of hours long, although election judges may receive home study materials in order to prepare for the course. An election judge must prove to be proficient in understanding the laws of an election before being allowed to work in a polling place.
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Show How to Use Equipment
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Election judges can assist voters by helping them understand how to use the election equipment. Many municipalities now have electronic voting equipment. Using this equipment often involves scanning a card and using a touch screen to choose the candidates for whom a person wants to vote. The election judge must understand how the equipment works and must be able to instruct others who have questions about the equipment.
Record and Certify Vote Totals
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An election judge is responsible for certifying and recording vote totals. The person can do this in a few different ways. In the case that electronic voting booths are used, the election judge will collect the printed receipts from the booth. If there is an electronic malfunction, the election judge is responsible for manually counting the printed out ballots. In the case that only paper ballots are used, election judges are responsible for counting all ballots and certifying that the results--to the best of their knowledge--were properly counted.
Instruct and Direct Voters
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Voters are sometimes unsure about where to go and what to do on election day. Election judges can stand at doorways, direct voters toward voting booths, verify that voters are voting at the proper precinct, collect signatures, verify identification and check drivers' licenses.
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References
Resources
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