Poll Workers are community volunteers that support polling place operations throughout the County.

As a Poll Worker, you will be providing a vital civic duty to ensure that the right to vote is preserved. It is also a great way to serve your community, get involved in the democratic process, and earn extra money!

Requirements:  To be eligible you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter in the State of California.
• Read, write, and understand English.
• Volunteer for four days (October 31 - November 3, 2020)
• Attend a mandatory 2-hour training session.
• Have transportation to the polling place.

Workday:  Due to the current public health emergency, we are reducing the number of polling locations and increasing the number of days the polling locations will be open. Poll workers will work for four days including Election Day. Poll worker hours on these four days will be: 

• Saturday, October 31; Sunday, November 1; and Monday, November 2 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. each day.
• Tuesday, November 3 from 6:00 a.m. to approximately 9:30 p.m.

Roles & Stipends:  There are 3 roles available: Clerk, Assistant Supervisor and Supervisor

• Clerk: $100 per day.
• Assistant Supervisor: $135 per day.
• Supervisor: $175 per day.
• Training: $20 per 2-hour session.
• Bilingual Pay: $10 per day.

Note:  To be eligible to receive bilingual pay, poll workers must be fluent in English and Cantonese, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, or Vietnamese.

Duties:  The main duties are:

• Prepare, open, and close the polling place.
• Distribute and receive official ballots for voters.
• Assist voters in every aspect of the voting process.

Additional Precautions:  Due to the current public health emergency:

• Poll workers will be provided with face masks, face shields, gloves, hand sanitizer, and cleaning supplies.
• All high-touch surfaces will be cleaned throughout the day.
• If a face covering order is in effect, voters without a face mask will be offered one.

As a result of the impact COVID-19 and the changes in the election process for the upcoming November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election, County employees have been activated as Disaster Service Workers to support the ROV. County employees interested in supporting ROV for this election should notify their immediate supervisor of their willingness to be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker. 

Any County employee who as already submitted a County Employee Poll Worker Application with department head or supervisor's approval, and has already attended Poll Worker Training is still eligible to serve in a non-supervisory position in this election. Employees interested in attending Supervisor Training and serving in a supervisory role should notify their immediate supervisor of their willingness to be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker. 

Generally, the County Employee Poll Worker Program differs in two ways from the normal program, in terms of requirements and work time status.

Requirements:  To be eligible you must:

• Be a County employee, including but not limited to a regular employee, Public Service Employee (PSE), extra-help or recurrent employee, or contract employee.
• Be in good standing with your supervisor.
• Be at least 18 years of age and a registered voter in the state of California.
• Read, write, and understand English.
• Attend mandatory training sessions.

Employee Work Time:

• County employees are not required (and should not) use vacation time to attend training or to work at the polls. 
• County employees will receive their regular county pay, which may include overtime and mileage per the employee's MOU and applicable ordinances, policies, and procedures.

Due to the current public health emergency, we have temporarily suspended the Student Poll Worker Program for the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election.

Working as a High School Student Poll Worker is a great opportunity to learn about the democratic process while serving your community and earning money.  The Student Poll Worker Program differs in three ways from the normal program, in terms of requirements, available roles, and how to apply.

Requirements:  To be eligible you must:

• Be a high school student at least 16 years of age and in good academic standing.
• Read and write English.
• Work on Election Day from 6:00 a.m. until approximately 9:30 p.m.
• Attend a mandatory 2 hour training session.
• Have transportation to the polling place.

Role & Stipend:  Student workers can be Clerks: $120 for Election Day and 2 hours training.

Benefits to the Student:

• Students are given the opportunity for hands on experience in learning how elections are conducted and they gain a lifelong appreciation for the democratic process.
• Students receive training on how to provide services to voters at the polls and this experience can help with work experience.
• Students’ presence will inspire other students to register and to vote when they reach 18 years of age.
• Students will show their communities the support of the younger generation and at the same time meet new people.

How to Apply:  Contact your Government teacher for more information.

Two (2) Hour Training for Clerks, Assistant Supervisors & Supervisors:

All poll workers must complete the a 2-hour mandatory basic training class to be a clerk or supervisor.  The training class includes a narrated PowerPoint presentation with videos and a hands-on simulation where an actual polling place is set up and simulated voters are processed.  Trainings will be held at several locations throughout San Bernardino County. 

Poll workers must be scheduled in order to attend a training class. Walk-ins will not be admitted.

During training, evaluations of trainees will be conducted to identify workers who meet the minimum requirements for working.  Performance evaluations will also be conducted to identify workers’ strengths.  These evaluations will be used to place poll workers in the proper role on Election Day, or to give the worker the opportunity to advance to supervisor training.

View the Class Schedule for the 2-hour mandatory Basic Poll Worker Training. 

Training for Assistant Supervisors and Supervisors:

As a result of the impact COVID-19 and the changes in the election process for the upcoming November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election, Supervisor Training will take place the week of October 19. If you are interested in attending Supervisor Training and serving in a supervisory role, you are encouraged to apply HERE [external link].

How to Place Signage Inside and Outside the Polling Place

How to Set-up the Three Types of Voting Booths

How to Set-up Voting Booths for Ballot Marking Devices

How to Interact with Voters with Disabilities