Like many in the country, political science senior Natalie Venable will cast her first presidential vote on Nov. 5. But her civic duties won’t stop there: She will serve as a poll worker that day too, performing various duties at her assigned polling location to ensure Election Day runs smoothly and all votes are counted fairly.
“I feel passionately that everyone should have access to voting, so I wanted to help facilitate that,” Venable said. “I’m really excited to be processing voters and just getting to participate in the democratic process.”
On Election Day, workers will arrive at 6 a.m. to set up and test machines at polling locations throughout the county. After polls close at 8 p.m., they will count ballots, pack up, and deliver ballots to a central collection point for counting.
Cal Poly students make up one of the biggest groups of poll workers in the county, said Erin Clausen, Public Information Officer for the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder. Other major groups that serve as poll workers include high schoolers and people in retirement.
The experience is about patriotism, community and personal fulfillment, said environmental studies senior Mel Kuzo, who was a poll worker in 2020.
“I loved the discussions I had with the people I worked with, as well as helping those who came to vote,” Kuzo said. “ Being a poll worker makes me feel very virtuous.”
“I am working at the polls this year for class credit, but also of my own volition,” Kuzo said. Political science classes such as Environmental Design (EDES 406) offer extra credit for signing up as a poll worker through the Clerk-Recorder.
San Luis Obispo County poll workers can attend an optional three-hour training prior to Election Day, which covers the handbook and procedures for greeting, check-ins and issuing ballots without bias.
Poll workers receive an extra $20 for attending training, which is highly encouraged due to the significant tasks involved and the strong opinions often expressed in long polling lines, Clausen explained.
To become a precinct worker in San Luis Obispo County, a person must be a registered voter in California or a legal permanent resident of the U.S. and at least 16 years of age. You also must complete an application through the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorder’s website.