guide a innovative presidentialelectionin the thick of a pandemic is a challenging endeavor , to say the least . While many states are work to make mail service - in vote possible for their constituents , there ’s still a immense need for Tennessean to run in - personvotingstations .
It ’s not the first time public opinion poll prole have been hard to come by . As election law analyst Jonathan Diazwritesfor CNN , dominion feedback after the 2018 elections revealed that around two - third gear of reporting jurisdiction had difficulty procuring volunteers . It ’ll likely be even tougher this year , in part because most poll workers are usuallyolder Americans , and some might forgo volunteering to mitigate the risk of contractingCOVID-19 . Furthermore , the increase in other in - person voting options means districts will require even more volunteer than usual .
If districts ca n’t fasten enough poll parrot workers , they may have to reduce the number of polling locations . Not only could this impact voter turnout , but it could also make voting less good : maintaining societal space is n’t gentle in a farsighted , cramped queue , and wait around prolongs your exposure to pathogens .
In short , it ’s critically of import for people — peculiarly untested citizenry without preexist conditions — to offer at the poll this yr . Andvolunteerdoesn’t needs meanwork for free ; many jurisdiction pay their poll workers , and that often includes whatever clock time you spend in a training session . Other item , like eligibility requirement , program process , and day - of duties also vary by dominion . If you ’re free on or around Election Day ( November 3 ) , you’re able to find information about becoming a poll worker by choosing your state and district on the U.S. Election Assistance Commission ’s websitehere .
