On Wednesday, local government celebrated National Poll Worker Recruitment Day in Nebraska. In honor of that, Secretary of State Bob Evnen is thanking community members who step up to be poll workers in Nebraska’s elections. Evnen says the event is a national day of action that encourages people to sign up to become a poll worker.
“I’m grateful Nebraska is home to thousands of responsible poll workers who ensure our elections are completed with the utmost integrity,” Secretary Evnen said. “Nebraska’s poll workers are our neighbors, friends and community members who deserve respect and appreciation. Their service protects public trust and confidence in the election process.”
A press release by the Office of Secretary of State of says that Nebraska typically needs around 7,000 poll workers statewide on Election Day. Poll workers are essential to operating secure and accurate elections in Nebraska. Following the November 2022 general election, the Secretary of State’s office and county election officials conducted a manual audit to verify the accuracy of the results.
In terms of numbers, A hand count of 48,292 ballots from 132 voting precincts (10% of results in Nebraska) confirmed the accuracy of our election results, and the Office of the Secretary of State believes that election workers are key to that that achievement.
“Nebraska has some of the most dedicated poll workers in the nation,” Lincoln County Election Clerk Becky Rossell said. “Whether you are an experienced poll worker with many years of service or served for one election, you were an integral part of the election process. We thank you for your dedication and participation.”
Retired Nebraskans have took the larger share of positions during elections historically in Nebraska, but there has been an effort to change that some. The “Nebraskans Step Up” campaign aimed at recruiting younger poll workers, and young Nebraskans stepped up to fill the need.
Yet, since 2020 the average age demographics have returned to the pre-2020 levels with retired Nebraskans being the largest demographic.
"Nebraska will need more poll workers next year than ever before," Hall County Election Commissioner Tracy Overstreet said. "The 2024 presidential election is expected to have high voter turnout, plus Nebraska is implementing a new process for the first time with the Voter ID law.
A blend of new poll workers and veteran poll workers are needed and will be making history in 2024. Nebraskans as young as 16 years old can be a poll worker. If poll workers are 18 or older, they need to be registered to vote in their county. All poll workers are compensated by their respective counties.
Those who would like to learn more about becoming a poll worker should reach out to their county election commissioner or county clerk. Contact information for each county office can be found at sos.nebraska.gov/election-officials-contact information.