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Become A Poll Worker

We use over 2,000 registered Orange County voters to work as nonpartisan poll workers on Election Day. All workers are required to attend training before each election. Poll workers can earn between $200 - $350 per Election Day worked.

The first step to working at the polls is to attend an orientation class. The orientation class includes information about the requirements for becoming a poll worker, the basic duties for each position, and what a day as a poll worker looks like.

If you are interested in being a poll worker, and have not been a poll worker in Orange County before, please complete a Poll Worker Interest Form.

Your organization can raise money by becoming poll workers! If you are a member of an organization that would like to raise money by working at the polls on Election Day, please visit our Adopt-A-Precinct page for more information.

Poll Worker Training Materials

View Online Poll Worker Sensititivy and Disability Training

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the requirements to be a poll worker?

  • Be a registered voter in Orange County (except for the Help Desk Oath Person)
  • Attend a mandatory training class before each election (minimum of 3 hours)
  • Be available to work a minimum of 14 hours on Election Day
  • Be willing to represent our office well in public
  • Perform all duties for your position as assigned

What are my duties?

  • Report to the polling place by 6 a.m. on Election Day
  • Assist in setting up the polling place
  • Assist other workers when necessary
  • Treat the voters in a courteous manner
  • Follow voting procedures presented in your training class and your poll worker manual
  • Assist in closing the polls

Where will I be assigned to work?

Although we will try to assign you to work as close to your home precinct as possible, you must be willing to travel to other polling place locations.

Can I vote on Election Day?

By law, you can only vote in your home precinct on Election Day. If you are not assigned to work in your home precinct on Election Day, you should vote by filling out the vote-by-mail ballot that will be sent to you when you are assigned to work, or vote early. For more information, visit our Vote By Mail page or visit our Early Voting page.

Poll Worker Position Descriptions

Each poll worker has specific duties to perform on Election Day. The following is a list of the positions and a brief description of their duties. All positions, except the Poll Deputy, use some type of computer or electronic device to perform their assigned duties.

Poll Clerk: Supervises the other poll workers and must attend a lengthy training to gain an understanding of all positions’ duties. Along with many other duties, the Poll Clerk coordinates access to the polling place, handles picking up the election supplies before Election Day, and returns them to a designated drop-off site on election night.

Assistant Poll Clerk: Responsible for helping the Poll Clerk open and close the polls. During voting hours, this person uses an iPad mini and walks the line to verify voters are at the correct polling place. If there are no voters in line, they assist the Poll Clerk wherever needed.

Poll Deputy: This poll worker is stationed outside the voting room on Election Day to maintain order at the polling place. They set up voting booths and put out election signage at the polls. The Poll Deputy needs to pass a background clearance conducted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Help Desk Oath Person: This poll worker is a sworn deputy of the Supervisor of Elections office for Election Day. They help voters who present exceptions to the normal voting pattern by checking voter records using the elections office-issued tablet and/or contacting the Supervisor of Elections office.

ePoll Book Inspector: Locates voters’ names in the ePoll tablets to determine their eligibility to vote in that precinct. They also issue ballots to voters.

Voting Systems Inspector: Responsible for the set-up, operation, and closing of the tabulator (voting machine) and the ADA equipment available to voters with a disability.