I am a nervous voter. Did I sign my name clearly enough? Did I do it right (I got my “I voted by mail” sticker, so I know my mail-in ballot was received)? But I don’t worry about the security of my vote or the accuracy of the results. This election is my eighth serving as a poll worker for the Burlington County Board of Elections in New Jersey. I know firsthand that I can trust the people. And I can trust the process.
Poll workers are community members who are paid to help their neighbors vote. I became a poll worker to share the burden of a 15-hour workday with the aging workforce. I work with people who have served their community for decades, making sure each election runs smoothly. The government employees who manage the elections have also been doing this for a long time, and they are similarly passionate about serving voters. However, the public is less confident in election officials than poll workers (81% vs. 90%, respectively). I don’t know election officials as well, but I trust them and the many checks and balances involved in the process of counting votes.
In my county, poll workers are required to attend regular training and swear an oath each year. Equal numbers of Democrats and Republicans work together at every step. We ensure the vote counts are zero when the polls open at 6 a.m. We rotate duties throughout the day, so no one person is in charge of checking in voters, activating the voting machines or assisting with provisional ballots. We consult our training materials and ask each other for help to make sure we are upholding our county’s rules. We keep physical and digital documentation and note any unusual occurrences. At the end of the day, each poll worker signs off on the accuracy of the numbers. Copies are shared with the township, county and state. There are plenty of opportunities for multiple people to identify and investigate any irregularities. I trust this process. If you are still skeptical, I invite you to join it.
Jessica Sautter, Ph.D., is an associate professor of sociology.
