Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett is urging those eligible across the Volunteer State to become poll workers for the upcoming August 1 primary elections and the November 5 general election.
The job of poll workers is to help polling sites run smoothly during early voting and on Election Day by conducting various tasks, including greeting voters, answering questions, explaining how to cast a ballot, and counting votes at their community locations.
Workers are paid for their work and for attending required training sessions.
“Poll workers are essential to conducting elections in Tennessee, and I hope all eligible Tennesseans will consider answering the call to serve our fellow Tennesseans,” Hargett said in a statement.
To become a poll worker, individuals must be over 16 and a registered voter in the county they desire to serve if they are over 18.
Individuals who want to become poll workers must also be able to read and write in the English language.
In addition, poll workers cannot be candidates or close relatives of candidates and cannot be supervised by a county or municipal elected official on the ballot.
Hargett’s office notes that while all city, county, and Metropolitan government employees – unless working directly under the supervision of an elected official on the ballot – are eligible to become poll workers as are state employees. Federal employees should consult with their individual human resources departments to determine eligibility.
Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins said that poll workers are “an essential part of the electoral process,” adding, “Tennessee would not be able to hold successful elections without them.”
“By serving as a poll worker, citizens can help voters in their communities confidently cast a ballot, so all registered Tennesseans know our results are accurate and Tennessee elections are secure,” Goins added.
When it comes to election integrity, Tennessee has consistently led the nation in maintaining the most secure elections, according to the Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard.
The Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard, which is regularly updated as states reform and change their election laws, grades the election laws and procedures of all 50 states and the District of Columbia according to 47 best-practice criteria developed in consultation with trusted election experts. The think tank launched the tool in 2021.
Tennessee’s current score is 90 out of 100 – the highest in the nation.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
