ABOUT US

Power the Polls is a first-of-its-kind, nonpartisan initiative to recruit the next generation of poll workers to ensure safe and fair elections for all voters — and the national leader in poll worker recruitment.

When polling places close, it becomes more difficult for voters to access the ballot box. That’s why Power the Polls is working to recruit a new generation of poll workers excited to serve their communities, help their neighbors vote, and ensure safe access to the ballot box for years to come. Over one million people have signed up with Power the Polls since 2020.

Power the Polls was launched in June 2020 by a coalition of businesses and nonprofits, including Civic Alliance, Civic Responsibility Project, Comedy Central, Fair Elections Center, Pizza to the Polls, MTV Entertainment Group, and Center for Secure & Modern Elections. Power the Polls relies on objective data about poll worker requirements and applications collected from over 5,000 jurisdictions assembled by the non-partisan Fair Elections Center.

HOW POWER THE POLLS WORKS

We recruit potential poll workers. We work with a diverse coalition of partners to recruit the next generation of poll workers to power our elections. When someone signs up through Power the Polls, we direct them to their state or local jurisdiction’s official online application to apply. We also provide resources on the importance of poll workers in ensuring safe and fair elections.

We identify needs for poll workers. We coordinate directly with elections administrators and state-based partners to identify and meet poll worker needs in local communities, including needs for bilingual and tech-savvy poll workers. We work with local elections officials, Secretaries of State, and State Election Directors to recruit poll workers where they are most needed.

We house a centralized hub for localized poll worker information. Type in any U.S. zip code at powerthepolls.org/search and you’ll find local information on poll worker compensation, hours, application links, and training and voter registration requirements. This objective data is collected and maintained by the nonpartisan Fair Elections Center, as part of the WorkElections project.

HOW POWER THE POLLS STARTED

In the spring of 2020, America was in the midst of a nationwide poll worker shortage: primary elections across the country saw reduced polling locations, long lines, and voters waiting to cast their ballot for several hours. Amidst the uncertainty caused by COVID-19, fewer poll workers were signing up for the job.

In June 2020, Power the Polls was launched by a coalition of businesses and nonprofits with the original goal of recruiting 250,000 new prospective poll workers to fill these gaps. In less than 100 days, Power the Polls recruited over 700,000 prospective poll workers across the United States. As a result, the shortages we saw during the 2020 primaries were limited in the general election: little to no poll worker shortages were reported during states’ early voting period and on Election Day.

Since then, we’ve recruited over one million potential poll workers in all 50 states—people interested in serving their communities, helping their neighbors vote, and ensuring fair, safe, and smooth elections.