Requirements
- Must be 18 years old
- Minors ages 16-17 may work up to 8 hours on Election Day
- Must be a registered voter in Union County
- Must read and write English legibly
- Must be able to get to your polling location
- Attend mandatory training when required
Rate of Pay
- The statutory pay for working an Election Day is $300
You can earn additional money…
- Earn an additional $12.50 for picking up the election supplies for your district.
- Earn an additional $12.50 for returning the election supplies for your district.
- Pick up and drop off of election supplies is coordinated by the municipal clerk in the town in which you are working.
- Poll Workers working in Elizabeth will pick up their supplies on a first come, first serve basis from the UCBOE 271 No. Broad St., Elizabeth on the Monday before Election Day and return materials to the Elizabeth Municipal Clerk’s Office.
Responsibilities
- Help your community exercise their right to vote in Union County!!!
- Work the June Primary Election and the November General Election
- Work 5:15am – 8:15pm (approx.)
- Open, operate and close the voting machines, electronic poll books
- Set up all your polling place
- Process voters
Online Poll Worker Application
Virtual Training
The Board of Elections is pleased to announce a NEW & IMPROVED virtual training platform in an effort to be more accessible and flexible for our poll workers.
- The platform will be available 24 hours a day / 7 days a week.
- You can review a specific section as often as you wish to ensure you understand all aspects of your duties on Election Day!
- You can reference all materials on your mobile device on Election Day in the event you need additional support while things are happening!
- Videos have been added to show you how to interact with your voters and how to perform your functions well.
- Assessments are included so you can gauge your understanding of certain topics.
Mandatory Poll Worker Training
Pursuant to state statute, poll worker training is required every two years. If you do not attend training when you are required, your pay is reduced.
In March 2022, the Governor signed legislation increasing poll worker pay to $300 for the day. This new law also addresses poll worker pay for poll workers who are required to come to training, but fail to do so. As has always been the case, training is required every two years.
The statute states “in the case of any member of the board who is required … to attend in a given year a training program for district board members, but who fails to attend such a training program in that year, that compensation shall be commensurate with the State minimum wage for each of those elections.”
The new pay rate for poll workers is $21.41 per hour (or $300 for the day). If you are required to attend training, but do not attend training and work the polls, you will be paid at a rate of $13 per hour on Election Day in 2022. The minimum wage will increase to $14 per hour in 2023 and $15 per hour in 2024.
First Timers Training
Space and Training Sessions are limited. In-Person training is for First Time Poll Workers and Poll Workers who have not been trained in 2 years. All other poll workers shall utilize the on-line training portal. Also, we encourage you to attend the Election Equipment Open Houses if you would like to get hands-on experience with the voting machines and electronic poll books.
TRAINING REQUIREMENT – Pursuant to State Statute, each new poll worker must receive training prior to working on Election Day and every two years thereafter. First timers must train in person. Please allow approximately 2 hours for training. If you are not on time, you will be asked to leave and attend another training.
REGISTER FOR TRAINING – Please do not leave training until the last possible moment; you may be turned away due to space restrictions. You can reserve your seat online at our poll worker website: www.ucnj.org/pollworker.
RATE OF PAY (AND PENALTY FOR NOT TRAINING WHEN REQUIRED) – The daily rate for serving as a poll worker is $300. If you do not attend training when you are required to, a new law requires your pay to be reduced equal to minimum wage. In 2022, your pay will be $13 per hour or $195 for the day if you do not attend required training. If you are a new poll worker, you are required to be trained. If you are a seasoned poll worker and were not trained in the 2021 General Election or the 2022 Primary Election, you are required to be trained. This detailed training is designed to provide Union County’s Poll Workers with the knowledge and tools necessary to be an effective and educated poll worker. The schedule of available training sessions is on the back side of this sheet. You only need to attend one training course.
I look forward to seeing you then!
Nicole L. DiRado, Administrator
Union County Board of Elections
| Date | Time | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon., October 24, 2022 | 9:30am | Union Township Senior Center, 652 Rahway Avenue | 100 attendees |
| Mon., October 24,2022 | 6:30pm | Union Township Senior Center, 652 Rahway Avenue | 100 attendees |
| Tues., October 25, 2022 | 1:30pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Ave., Roselle Park | 60 attendees |
| Tues., October 25, 2022 | 6:30pm | Mountainside Municipal Building – Community Room 1385 Route 22 East, Mountainside | 75 attendees |
| Wed., October 26, 2022 | 1:00pm | Mountainside Municipal Building – Community Room 1385 Route 22 East, Mountainside | 75 attendees |
| Thurs., October 27, 2022 | 1:00pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Ave., Roselle Park | 60 attendees |
| Tues., November 1, 2022 | 9:30am | Clark Recreation Center, 430 Westfield Avenue | 75 attendees |
| Tues., November 1, 2022 | 1:30pm | Clark Recreation Center, 430 Westfield Avenue | 75 attendees |
| Tues., November 1, 2022 | 6:30pm | Clark Recreation Center, 430 Westfield Avenue | 75 attendees |
| Wed., November 2, 2022 | 10:00am | Plainfield Public Library, Meeting Room 800 Park Avenue | 75 attendees |
| Wed., November 2, 2022 | 2:00pm | Plainfield Public Library, Meeting Room 800 Park Avenue | 75 attendees |
| Sat., November 5, 2022 | 1:00pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Ave., Roselle Park | 60 attendees |
| Sun., November 6, 2022 | 11:00am | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Ave., Roselle Park | 60 attendees |
Early Voting Poll Worker Training Schedule for Early Voting Team Members
Training Dates
Please remember, you are committing to working with our team for the entire duration of Early Voting: October 29, 2022 through November 6, 2022!
Registration link on the top of this page.
We look forward to seeing you at the training!
Monday, October 24, 2022 at 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Union Township Senior Center
652 Rahway Avenue, Union
Wednesday, October 26, 2022 at 9:30am – 11:30am
Mountainside Municipal Building – Community Room
1385 Route 22 East, Mountainside
Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 6:30pm – 8:30pm
Union County Emergency Management Building
535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park
You only need to attend one of the training sessions above.
General Election Early Voting Dates
- Saturday, October 29, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Sunday, October 30, 2022: 10am – 6pm
- Monday, October 31, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Tuesday, November 1, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Wednesday, November 2, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Thursday, November 3, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Friday, November 4, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Saturday, November 5, 2022: 10am – 8pm
- Sunday, November 6, 2022: 10am – 6pm
Election Equipment Open Houses
The Election Board is hosting election equipment open houses for seasoned poll workers and first timers who would like to better familiarize themselves with the ExpressVote XL Voting Machine and the NEW Electronic Poll Book.
- This is not a formal, required training session.
- The voting machines and electronic poll books will be available for poll workers to train.
- Staff will be available to answer any questions you may have.
- Capacity within the room will be limited.
- There will not be a formal training presentation.
- Attending an Open House does not fulfill the training requirement.
- You may come at any time during the hours posted and stay for a long, or as short of a time, as you would like.
We hope you find this to be a helpful exercise in better preparing you for Election Day! If you have any questions, please call us at 908-527-4236. Thank you in advance for your kind attention and your continued cooperation.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Mon., October 17, 2022 | 1pm – 5pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Wed., October 19, 2022 | 2pm – 6pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Thurs., October 20, 2022 | 3pm – 7pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Mon., October 24, 2022 | 4pm – 6pm | Union Township Senior Center 652 Rahway Avenue, Union |
| Thurs., October 27, 2022 | 9am – 12pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Sat., October 29, 2022 | 10am – 2pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Tues., November 1, 2022 | 2pm – 6pm | Clark Recreation Center, 430 Westfield Avenue Room 2 |
| Wed., November 2, 2022 | 2pm – 6pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Thurs., November 3, 2022 | 3p – 7pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Fri., November 4, 2022 | 2pm – 6pm | Union County Emergency Management Building 535 Laurel Avenue, Roselle Park |
| Sat., November 5, 2022 | 10am – 2pm | Union County Board of Elections 271 No. Broad Street, Elizabeth |
| Sun., November 6, 2022 | 10am – 2pm | Union County Board of Elections 271 No. Broad Street, Elizabeth |