TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—More Pascack Valley-area high school students than ever will be working as poll workers on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 4, in Bergen County, said the Board of Elections official in charge of recruiting and training young poll workers.
County Board of Elections Chair Richard L. Miller told Pascack Press that more than 500 students stepped up at dozens of poll-worker training sessions this year. Closer to 400 students worked at the polls during the state’s Primary Election, June 10.
Miller noted with more than 500 students signed up to work Nov. 4, the county has no more worries about properly staffing polling places. He said most students are assigned to polling places in their hometowns.
“It’s a lot, it’s great, it’s the most we’ve had. We will have students from 25 high schools trained and ready to work at the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 4,” Miller told us. “The students really want to see how the election process works; they’re really engaged,” he said.
Students who are aged 16 or 17 are paid $50 to attend poll worker training, plus $160 for an eight-hour stint at the polls, Miller said. Students are paid for training if they work eight hours on Election Day, he said.
He said the Board of Elections has been involved in recruiting and training student poll workers for nearly 3 1/2 years.
He thanked school superintendents, principals and administrators in working with county elections officials to promote students as future poll workers.
He said students have proven to be reliable, generally showing up for training and a full eight-hour day. Surprisingly, he said, most students seem to prefer the early shift, which runs 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The evening shift runs 12:30 to 8:30 p.m.
On Sept. 30, poll worker training consultant Wes Wagner, and Miller, provided training for some 80 Westwood Regional High School students during a two-hour session at the media center.
They will return on Oct. 7 to offer training for more students who signed up, Miller said.
Miller told us that more students have become interested in working the polls as word has spread about the importance of elections and voting — in addition to being paid. The work is absolutely nonpartisan.
Wagner told us, “The students are given the opportunity to receive a variety of real-world experiences, many of which will carry through as they begin their careers as working adults, such as punctuality and attention to detail.”
He noted, “As the inclusion of technology increases each year in elections, students are able to bring their expertise to the process. Their knowledge makes them a valuable asset for the Board of Elections.”
This was the second year that students at Westwood Regional High School participated in training and serving as poll workers, said Michael Kenduck, district K-12 supervisor of humanities.
“As a result of last year’s success, there was an unprecedented demand by the students to work on Election Day. This partnership between the Westwood Regional High School District and the Board of Elections provides an amazing opportunity for our students to engage in the electoral process in a non-partisan fashion,” he told us.
He added, “The students benefit from this ‘front row seat to democracy’ since they both earn money for their service and learn about the integrity of the voting process.”
He said, “It has been reported from representatives from the Board of Elections that our students asked engaging questions during their training and took their job seriously on Election Day.”
Westwood Principal Frank Connelly beamed to Pascack Press, “We are incredibly proud of our students who have stepped up to serve as poll workers. This training not only equips them with practical knowledge about the voting process, it also fosters a strong sense of civic responsibility.”
He added, “It’s inspiring to see young people engaged in our democracy in such a meaningful way. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support their involvement.”