The New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office is celebrating National Poll Worker Recruitment Day on Tuesday. Lindsey Bachman, Director of Communications, Legislative and Executive Affairs with the New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office, talked about this and the current need for poll workers with Scott Brocato.
Scott Brocato:
Lindsey, talk about why poll workers are so important.
Lindsey Bachman:
Well, thank you so much for having me to discuss this important civic holiday.
We really appreciate the efforts of the US Election Assistance Commission and recognizing the need that election administrators have in recruiting folks to work the polls in this year's election. And so there's going to be a nationwide push for folks who may not know of the opportunity to serve as election workers in their community. It's a push to recruit them to serve in those positions for the election.
Scott Brocato:
And how dire is the need for poll workers?
Lindsey Bachman:
I think that the need for poll workers varies by jurisdiction, but what I can share is that it's never a surplus, right? We're always looking for folks who are interested in either signing up immediately for a position or being on a list for a standby position in the event of a vacancy. What we know over time is that people who have long since served in those roles, that they are choosing not to serve. They've retired from that role in the election, and so it's always great to get new folks involved.
Scott Brocato:
What are some of the qualifications to be a poll worker?
Lindsey Bachman:
So you need to be a registered voter in the county in which you're intending to serve in the state of New Mexico. You cannot be a candidate or a relative of the candidate or a law enforcement officer. And then you need basic computer skills, a phone and an e-mail address.
Scott Brocato:
Minimum age requirement?
Lindsey Bachman:
Actually, 16- and 17-year-olds, although they may not be eligible to vote in the election, may in fact participate as election workers as part of an election. And so any young folks out there who are looking to earn some money, these are paid positions. We encourage young people to participate in elections early. It helps build a foundation of how the process works as they move into adulthood.
Scott Brocato:
How is the Secretary of State's office assisting counties in their search?
Lindsey Bachman:
The Secretary of State's office has created a form, an interest form online. It's available on our website, sos.nm.gov. And that form will just ask some basic questions, contact information, your name, et cetera. And what we're doing is facilitating getting that information to county clerks across the state so that they may reach out and go about the process of hiring those folks.
Scott Brocato:
Do you have any concerns regarding the upcoming midterm elections?
Lindsey Bachman:
I think that what election administrators are doing right now is what they do before every election. They are preparing for emergency scenarios. They're doing regular connecting with their local offices of emergency management, people like the Department of Transportation, representatives from the post office. Election administrators know how to prepare for events around an election. They're also doing the really boring but necessary tasks of scheduling poll workers.
And so what I would say is that as we look to the elections this year and in light of the civic holiday, serving as a poll worker is one of the many ways in which people can build their own understanding and confidence in an election. There's going to be a lot of misinformation and disinformation out there about how the election works, and serving as a poll worker, working the polls in November is one of the best ways to gain understanding and insight into the process.
And these folks are your neighbors, right? They are people that you see every day in your community. Election boards are comprised of people who represent multiple parties. By law, it's required that that's what the composition be a polling sites. So it really is a great and trusted way to kind of engage with the process and be able to take that understanding back to those around you.
Scott Brocato:
Is there anything you'd like to add that we haven't discussed?
Lindsey Bachman:
It's important for folks to know that our early voting starts on October 6th. So we focus on the election day, which is November 3rd, that these positions can serve during that early voting period. Compensation is set by the county clerk during that time, the hourly rate. And then on election day, they can earn up to $400 pursuant to state statute.
