#WorkThePolls

Even when we aren't facing down a once-in-a-century pandemic or a historically unprecedented administration challenging voting access across the country, elections take a lot of work. The folks who staff your polling place each year are poll workers—patriotic Americans who take a day or two out of their lives to safeguard our right to vote (and earn a little extra money). But the novel coronavirus makes working the polls too dangerous for some of the older folks who usually do the heavy lifting on election day.

The average poll worker is over 60 years old, and even during ordinary elections polls are understaffed. That's why your community needs your help!

Depending on your locality, poll workers may work all of election day or just help out for a few hours. As a poll worker, you can expect to handle duties like:

• Serving inside a polling place by checking in voters, answering voters' questions, setting up and testing voting machines, and issuing ballots.
• Being a resource for voters who encounter problems with registration, have questions regarding voter ID requirements, and provide assistance to those who face language barriers.
• Helping set up or take down voting booths, tidy up election offices or polling locations, and transport ballots to a designated location.

It's okay if you don't know how to do those things; prior to Election Day; you can expect to attend training held by local election officials. Your trainings will address:

• The mechanics of your local voting process,
• The rules you and the voters must follow.
• Common situations that you may encounter with voters who have questions or require assistance to vote.

Also, given the times we're in, you may be asked to help with keeping everything clean and sanitized, and ensuring that voters continue to social distance while waiting in line.

While many of us will be voting from home and either mailing our ballots or hand-delivering them, if Fairfax, Virginia is anything to go by, there may be just as many who will be voting in person. We need this election and this election needs you. What could be better than getting paid for safeguarding what lies at the heart of our democracy—the right to vote.

If you are interested in being a poll worker in November, Resistbot can help. Text workFind your local election office so you can apply to be a poll worker to 50409, or to Resistbot on iMessage, Twitter, Messenger, or Telegram, and the bot will help you find your local election office!