Elon won't be holding classes on Election Day this year, and has expanded its volunteer leave policy, which means members of the campus community could be assisting with voting efforts on Nov. 3.
Changes this fall are presenting many Elon students, faculty and staff with the opportunity to assist with the Election Day effort in their home counties.
It’s a unique chance to experience democracy in a way that many do not by assisting throughout the day as voters cast their ballots in local, state and federal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Members of the Elon community can also help meet the increased need for election workers in many locations this year as the COVID-19 pandemic may keep many of those who traditionally work the polls home.
Mary Morrison began spending Election Day as an election worker last year and says it is such an enriching and invigorating experience to be part of the Election Day process in a way she had not before. “Every day, I am encouraging students to be more engaged in their local communities, and I thought, ‘I want to do something more, too,'” said Morrison, assistant dean of campus life and director of the Kernodle Center for Civic LIfe. “I have never felt so connected to democracy as I have when I worked the polls. It’s the fact that we all love and care about this country so deeply, and we are there to make sure everyone has the opportunity to vote.”
During a typical year, many students and faculty have classes on Election Day, which is the first Tuesday in November. That can rule out spending the day as an election worker, which is a commitment that runs from before the polls open in the morning until after they close at night.
But in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Elon shifted its academic calendar for the fall semester to condense the time spent on campus. That included a different approach to fall break, with those days off shifted to Oct. 7 and Election Day on Nov. 3. Election Day is also traditionally a workday for Elon staff, but a change in policy this fall allows staff to use the volunteer hours they receive each year toward taking time off on Election Day to be a election worker.
Bob Frigo, associate director of the Kernodle Center for Civic Life, said those changes provide a way for Elon to assist with Election Day during a time when the demand for poll workers is particularly high. Because Election Day is held on a traditional workday, many who work at the polls are retired, a population that has many members more at risk from COVID-19. This year, some who traditionally working at the polls are staying home due to the potential risk to their health.
“With there not being classes, the idea was that we could help meet this need in our own community,” Frigo said. “We have a wonderful relationship with the Alamance County Board of Elections, and we’re in a unique position to assist.”
So who can be an election worker?
To serve as an election worker, you must be a properly registered voter in that county. Other restrictions may apply. Visit the North Carolina Board of Election Voter Search page to check your registration status. You may serve as an election worker with a county board of elections in the county where you are registered to vote.
In addition, precinct officials:
- May not be a candidate or relative of a candidate in the election
- May not be an elected government official, hold office with a political party or be a manager or treasurer for a candidate or political party
- May not serve at the same polling place as a spouse, child, spouse of a child, sister or brother
- Must perform their duties in a nonpartisan manner
What does being an election worker involve?
On Election Day, election workers generally work from 5:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Election workers are also required to attend approximately three to four hours of paid training prior to Election Day. This work must be done with a county board of elections (and not a political party or other organization). Responsibilities may include the following:
- Staff polling places on Election Day
- Set up and close the voting enclosure
- Check in voters and issue ballots
- Assist voters upon request
- Serve at the Help Table and perform research for voters who are not on the pollbook
More information about being an election worker is available on the Elon Votes site.
Morrison, who is registered to vote in Orange County, said her experience as an election worker was eye-opening. “I have a whole new appreciation for the level of commitment to keep the vote sacred and safe,” Morrison said.
She felt a connection with her fellow workers and though each polling place must have an equal number of Democrats and Republicans, she did not know who was which, as all went about their duties in a nonpartisan manner. It was incredible to see such a broad representation of your local community pass through the polling place on Election Day, Morrison said.
At the end of the day, all of the election workers stood on the sidewalk and shook hands, saying it was a pleasure to work with each other. “We did a good thing for our democracy, and it didn’t have anything to do with party lines,” Morrison said.
To learn more and express your interest in working in the 2020 general election, complete the Serve Democracy – Work in Elections webform. If your services are needed in the county where you are registered, a county election official will contact you. Filling out this form does not mean you will automatically be selected as an election worker.