Faces of Democracy: Being a Poll Worker
Guest blog by Paul Westermann, University Lutheran Church, Tempe
In a polarized political atmosphere, the polling place boasted a high level of civility during the 2024 Presidential Election. Whether by waiting respectfully in line to receive a ballot, or by greeting each newcomer with enthusiasm for participating in the electoral process, each voter and poll worker ensured that every fellow American was able to express their opinions at the ballot box.
Paul Westermann
Political talk and discussion of sensitive issues had no place at polling sites. Poll workers - each one strategically hired to form balanced, bipartisan teams at each site - remained politically neutral throughout the process, and refrained from verbally relaying information on ballot information such as propositions and party platforms. (This rule applied to every poll worker’s conversation, even among colleagues.) Instead, poll workers provided county-sponsored books and websites from which voters could acquire essential information, including where they can vote, public opinion on ballot measures, and how to update voter registration information. Impartially, but joyously, poll workers maintained the universal responsibility of directing citizens on how to exercise their right to vote.
In addition to carrying out this universal responsibility, each poll worker had a specific set of tasks to perform. Starting off as a Clerk, considered an entry-level position at the polls, my tasks involved printing, matching and passing along ballots and identifying documents to voters after they check in. I then guided them toward the privacy booths, guaranteeing their vote (and by extension, their personal safety) was secure. Throughout all of this, I served as a secondary greeter, after my colleagues who checked people in, reminding citizens that their participation was both appreciated and encouraged.
“Every voice that wanted to be heard... was heard.”
Halfway through my 12-day assignment, I was promoted one rank up to Voter Registration Clerk, a position I stayed in through the assignment’s conclusion on Election Day. In this capacity, my core task of interacting with voters remained the same. However, I was now the primary greeter at my site, managing foot traffic entering and leaving the room and directly checking citizens in before they received their ballots. When necessary, I even updated voter information within the system, ensuring that their ballots, for both current and future elections, would be counted.
However, assuring voters that their ballots would indeed be counted turned out to be the greatest challenge of working the polls. Some citizens were afraid their ballots were being deliberately discarded. Others were afraid their ballots would not be counted because voting directly was not an option for them; they had either come to my site having registered after the deadline to do so, or they were registered at an address outside the county in which they were voting. When confronted with such situations, I, along with my fellow Voter Registration Clerk, provided alternative solutions to ensure they could cast a ballot before the election concluded. Finally, to cast away any doubts voters had, I calmingly instructed them on how to monitor the status of their ballots. Most voters left my site reassured and satisfied with the service they received.
Nevertheless, through all the doubt cast on this election, the polling site remained a place of relative cooperation and enthusiasm. Poll workers were always excited to see voters perform their civic duty, especially when they arrived in large quantities, and voters remained especially grateful for poll workers providing a clear channel through which to engage with secular government. Every voice that wanted to be heard… was heard!
Paul Westermann studied mechanical engineering at ASU and is a member of University Lutheran Church in Tempe. Paul worked part time for six months as an Elections Clerk for Maricopa County
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