Requirements
- Must be 18 years old
- 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
First and foremost, thank you for working on Election Day as a poll worker with the Union County Board of Elections to ensure our communities can exercise their right to vote. Your participation is very much appreciated!
Pursuant to State Statute, each new poll worker must receive training prior to working on Election Day and every two years thereafter. Please allow approximately 2 hours for training. If you are not on time, you will be asked to leave and attend another training.
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.
Below please find the schedule of available training sessions for First Time Poll Workers. 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 |
|---|---|---|
| New schedule for the General Election forthcoming |
Early Voting Poll Worker Training Schedule for Early Voting Team Members
These training seminars are intended to be for the team assigned to each particular location. If you cannot attend your specific training seminar, you must contact 908-527-4236. We look forward to seeing you at the training!
New Dates for General Election 2022 Forthcoming
Cranford
Union College – Nomahegan Building
1033 Springfield Ave., Room N-4
Elizabeth
Sampson Community Center, 800 Anna Street
New Providence
DeCorso Community Center, 15 E. Fourth Street
Plainfield
Union College, 232 E. 2nd Street
Entrance on Church Street Parking Lot, between E. 2nd & E. 3rd Streets
Rahway
Rahway Recreation Center, 275 E Milton Ave, Room 112
Roselle
Amalfe Community Center, 1268 Shaffer Avenue
Union
Union Township Senior Center, 652 Rahway Avenue (relocated)
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
Just the Machine Training
The Election Board is hosting election equipment open houses for seasoned poll workers 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.
Dates for the General Election are forthcoming.