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.
• Attend a mandatory 2-hour training session.
• Have transportation to the polling place.

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.

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.

County Employees interested in serving as a poll worker are encouraged to complete the County Employee Poll Worker Application [pdf].

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.

All poll workers must complete a 2-hour mandatory basic training class.  The training class includes 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. 

How to Set-up the Poll Pad

How to Check-in a Voter using the Poll Pad (Tutorial)

How to Process Voters in the Polling Place

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