Election Worker Program Overview

What is an Election Worker

Election Workers and Election Judges are registered Maryland voters who volunteer to assist voters during the election process. Election Workers and Election Judges are instrumental in ensuring fair and accessible elections for all voters and protecting the integrity of the election process. In accordance with Federal and State law, they must perform duties assigned by the local Board of Elections faithfully, diligently, and without partiality or prejudice.

Every election approximately 4,111 Election Judges and Election Workers are needed to fill a variety of roles to ensure the election is carried out honestly and accurately.

Volunteers may serve as:

  • Election Judges - facilitating the election in a polling place during Early Voting or on Election Day
  • Drop Box Attendants – retrieving ballots from designated drop boxes
  • Canvassers – assisting in counting voted ballots
  • Nursing Home Program – assisting voters in designated nursing homes

We offer a variety of positions with full-day and part-day hours of service. Some positions require prior experience and/or use of an automobile. Election Judges who are bilingual in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese and French are needed to help voters requesting language assistance.

Election Judges and Election Workers receive a set stipend (payment), based on their assigned position. To receive the service stipend, you must successfully complete all required training, and fulfill all election duties to which you are assigned.

* Election Workers who previously served as an election judge in 2022 election cycle or earlier will receive a $100.00 bonus for each full Election Day and/or each Early Voting Day or $50.00 for each part-day served during the 2024 elections.

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Qualifications

To participate you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen and a registered voter in Maryland.
  • Be at least 16 years of age or older (parental permission is required for 16- or 17-year-olds) and if needed, complete the  Permission slip  and return with your application.
  • Not be legally prohibited from entering onto the property of a school or being near children.
  • Be able to clearly and fluently speak, read and legibly write the English language.
  • Not serve as a campaign manager for a candidate or as the treasurer for a campaign finance entity. Under Maryland law, an Election Worker may not hold or be a candidate for any elective public or political party office or any office created under the Constitution or Laws of the State. 
  • Be able to work the hours required for the position selected.
  • Be able to lift up to approximately 25 pounds with assistance
  • Successfully complete all required training.
  • Work courteously and patiently with the public and coworkers.

ADA Statement

Polling places and Early Voting centers in Montgomery County are accessible and provide accommodations to voters and poll workers who might prefer or need it. If you have any questions about accessibility, you may contact your election worker recruiter.

Bilingual Election Workers and the Voting Rights Act

Election Workers with Spanish speaking fluency are especially needed as the Board of Elections assigns Election Workers who are fluent in Spanish to every polling place in accordance with the requirements of Section 203 of the 1975 Voting Rights Act. Bilingual workers are needed for Early Voting and Election Day.

Election Worker Code of Conduct

To ensure that Montgomery County citizens are provided with the best election experience, we ask that Election Workers adhere to the Election Worker Code of Conduct (COC) which governs individual responsibilities and polling place behavior. Violation of the Codes of Conduct may result in removal from the Montgomery County Election Worker program. The Code of Conduct will be reviewed and signed in training.

Training Overview

An accurately informed and properly trained Election Worker decreases the possibility of errors in the operation of a polling place on Election Day. Maryland law requires Election Workers to complete training as a condition of appointment. The General Assembly of Maryland reviews the laws and procedures that govern elections each year and may pass legislation that changes the way elections are conducted.

Poll Worker training is conducted in two parts—(1) online and (2) in-person. The online training quiz must be passed, and the in-person training class must be successfully completed. In-person training classes are position specific and are held at various locations throughout the county. A training class schedule for the various positions will be provided to each worker upon completion of the online training quiz.

Canvass training is conducted in-person prior to your service as a canvasser.

Nursing Home Program training is conducted in-person prior to your service.

Drop Box Attendant training will be conducted in-person at the Board of Elections main office. A portion of this training will require you to travel to a nearby drop box to learn the proper procedures.

Apply to be an Election Worker/Election Judge

Applications are accepted year-round; however, if a volunteers wish to serve as Election Workers or Election Judges in a specific election, it is strongly encouraged individuals apply early for the best chance of receiving preferred placement. Applications received close to the election date will be processed and volunteers will be assigned to a position and/or polling locations that have vacancies. Applicants may request information on available positions by contacting the Recruitment Team.

Applications are accepted online via EJ Connection.

To apply:

Use the  EJ Connection  portal to create an account and complete the online Election Worker/Election Judge Application. 

Once an application has been processed by the Recruitment Team, an email with instructions on the next steps will be sent to the applicant. This may take two to five business days.

The Recruitment Team may be reached by phone at 240-777-8533 or by email at  [email protected]

Inclement Weather Policy and Emergency Notifications via Alert Montgomery

We have teamed up with Montgomery County’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and its Alert Montgomery emergency notification system to send text and e-mail messages to the election’s community, in the event of delays, closures, or emergencies at voting locations, training sites and our offices.

Those registering for emergency notification will be requested to give their name, e-mail address and phone number, and then to choose the Election Alert option. Please note that while signing up for Alert Montgomery is free of charge, wireless carriers may charge users a fee to receive text messages.

Sign up for text and e-mail messages

Check the Board of Elections web site at www.777vote.org for information about closures or delays due to inclement weather or other emergencies. If the Montgomery County Government is closed, our offices are closed, and all training classes are cancelled.

Call the Election Worker office on 240-777-8533 to hear an updated message in the event of closures or delays.

In the event an individual training class is cancelled, an email will be sent to all affected participants.

Election Worker Contact Information

General Information: 240-777-8533
Email:  [email protected]
Fax: 240-777-8578

LOCATION & MAILING ADDRESS
Montgomery County Board of Elections
18753 North Frederick Avenue, Suite 210
Gaithersburg, MD 20879