Be a poll worker, serve your community, and get paid! Positions are still available for civic-minded people who want to work in the polls in Watsonville, San Lorenzo Valley, and the Summit area on Election Day, Tuesday, November 8. The office is also recruiting 10 people with transportation to serve as stand-by clerks who can be dispatched anywhere in the county on Election Day.
To serve in the polls, a person must be a registered voter, a legal resident, or must be a high school student, age 16 or over, a U.S. citizen or legal resident, with at least a 2.5 grade point average.
“This is an historic election, and serving in the polls gives you a front row seat,” County Clerk Gail Pellerin said.
There are three positions available. The Inspector is the person in charge of the polling place who must have transportation and ability to pick up and return election equipment. The Electronic Voting Specialist (EVS) is the person who manages the voting equipment on Election Day. And, at least 3 Clerks are needed at each polling place to process and assist voters. The department especially needs people who speak Spanish, Chinese, or Tagalog.
Polling places open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m. Poll workers must report to duty an hour prior to opening the polls and must stay two or more hours after the polls close to prepare the equipment and election materials for return to the central counting location. Poll workers are provided breaks throughout the day.
Poll workers are paid $75 for clerks and $100 for inspectors, plus an additional $20 for attending the training class and $30 for the EVS training, if they complete their service at the polls
There are 145 voting precincts for the November election that are located at schools, churches, parks, libraries, fire stations, local businesses, and other public buildings.
Poll worker duties include attending the appropriate training classes held in advance of the election, setting up the polling place on Election Day, opening the polls, assisting voters, closing the polls, certifying the work completed, and delivering election materials to the election return center.
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For more information or to apply, call Lynn Stipes at the Santa Cruz County Clerk/Elections Department, at 831-454-2416, e-mail her at [email protected] or call Kurt Hoffmann at 831-454-2513 or email him at [email protected] Interested persons may also come to the office located at 701 Ocean St., Room 210, in Santa Cruz, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or visit our website at www.votescount.com