Residents who want to support their community still have time to sign up as poll workers for the June 2 Gubernatorial Primary Election. Anyone interested should apply by May 15.
Poll workers assist voters and keep vote centers running smoothly. They earn a daily stipend starting at $145 for their service.
There is a specific need for bilingual poll workers who can assist voters in 15 languages required by federal, state and county requirements.
Federal law requires the Registrar’s office to provide bilingual speakers and voting materials at vote centers for voters who speak:
- Spanish
- Filipino
- Vietnamese
- Chinese
State and county rules also require bilingual speakers at select vote centers in:
- Arabic
- Hindi
- Hmong
- Indonesian
- Japanese
- Khmer
- Korean
- Laotian
- Persian
- Somali
- Thai
San Diego County elections operate under the Voter’s Choice Act, a state law that replaces traditional polling places with vote centers that are open for an extended period leading up to Election Day.
Instead of serving just on Election Day, poll workers are now needed to staff vote centers for four or 11 days of voting.
Poll workers can earn:
- A stipend of $145 per day from May 23 to June 1
- $240 on Election Day, June 2, due to expanded hours
- Bilingual poll workers can receive an extra $5 per day and $10 extra on Election Day
Requirements to be a poll worker:
- Be a U.S. citizen and registered to vote in California or lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the United States
- Have reliable transportation to and from the assigned vote center each day
- Complete two days of in-person training (paid a $95 daily stipend)
- Available to work four or 11 days, including extended hours on Election Day
Responsibilities include:
- Opening and closing the vote center
- Assisting voters and providing excellent customer service
- Answering questions
The Registrar is looking for people with strong leadership and customer service skills, flexibility, patience and integrity. Poll workers must serve voters professionally and without partisanship.
Applications are available at sdvote.com. For more information, call 858-565-5800 or email pollworker@sdcounty.ca.gov.
