Decatur, GA — DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections (DeKalb VRE) is hiring poll workers to support advance voting and Election Day for the Nov. 8 General Election.

A variety of positions are available and DeKalb VRE encourages applicants to apply right away at www.dekalbcountyga.gov/voter-registration-elections/poll-employment.

According to a press release, applicants should meet the following requirements:

– An upright citizen of the United States

– A resident of or employed by DeKalb County (see website for details)

– 16 years of age or older

– Able to read, write, speak and understand the English language

– Not be a candidate for office or a relative of a candidate for office in the assigned poll

– Not hold a public office

– Able to meet the performance and training requirements as outlined by the Voter Registration and Elections Director.

“Poll workers are an essential part of our elections operations,” said Keisha Smith, executive director of DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections. “It’s a great way to get civically involved and work to ensure all DeKalb voters have the best voting experience. There are several critical support functions that our poll workers provide each election cycle, and I encourage residents to get involved and apply today.”

Poll workers, once hired, are required to attend a half-day training session. Poll workers must also help with election activities the day before the election to set up the voting precincts and get ready for Election Day. On Nov. 8, every poll worker must arrive at their assigned polling location at 5:30 a.m. and work until the poll closes, and the paperwork is finished after 7 p.m.

“Throughout the year, we continue to actively recruit and train poll workers to support upcoming elections, and this year is no different. In DeKalb, we are exceedingly grateful for the immense dedication of our poll workers, many of whom have served our voters across multiple elections,” Smith said. “During the pandemic, we identified recruitment and retention opportunities to expand our base of poll workers to not only meet our required staffing levels, but also establish an on-call reserve of trained poll workers to support any critical staffing needs as we approach the elections.”

For more information, contact the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections Office at 404-298-4020, email [email protected] or visit www.dekalbvotes.com.