Become A Poll Worker
Poll workers play a vital role in keeping our elections fair, secure, and accessible for everyone. Every Election Day, more than 2,000 Orange County voters step up to help their neighbors cast their ballots and ensure the voting process runs smoothly. Poll workers earn $200 to $425 per Election Day and no prior experience is required, just a willingness to learn, attend training, and work a full day.
If you’re interested in supporting democracy and making a difference in your community, becoming a poll worker is a great way to get involved. Your first step is attending an orientation class, where you’ll learn the requirements, duties for each position, and what atypical Election Day looks like.
If you are interested in being a poll worker, and have not been a poll worker in Orange County before, please complete a Poll Worker Interest Form.
Your organization can raise money by becoming poll workers! If you are a member of an organization that would like to raise money by working at the polls on Election Day, please visit our Adopt-A-Precinct page for more information.
Poll Worker Training Materials
Frequently Asked Questions
- Report to the polling place by 6 a.m. on Election Day
- Assist in setting up the polling place
- Assist other workers when necessary
- Treat the voters in a courteous manner
- Follow voting procedures presented in your training class and your poll worker
manual - Assist in closing the polls
Although we will try to assign you to work as close to your home precinct as possible, you must be willing to travel to other polling place locations.
By law, you can only vote in your home precinct on Election Day. If you are not assigned to work in your home precinct on Election Day, you should vote by filling out the vote-by-mail ballot that will be sent to you when you are assigned to work, or vote early. For more information, visit our Vote By Mail page or visit our Early Voting page.
Poll workers are typically paid 7-10 business days after the day of the election.
| Role | Old Pay Rate | New Pay Rate |
| Clerk | $350.00 | $425.00 |
| HDOP | $300.00 | $375.00 |
| VSI | $275.00 | $350.00 |
| ePoll Book Inspector | $250.00 | $325.00 |
| Deputy | $200.00 | $275.00 |
Poll Worker Position Descriptions
Each poll worker has specific duties to perform on Election Day. The following is a list of the positions and a brief description of their duties. All positions, except the Poll Deputy, use some type of computer or electronic device to perform their assigned duties.
Poll Clerk
Supervises the other poll workers and must attend a lengthy training to gain an understanding of all positions’ duties. Along with many other duties, the Poll Clerk coordinates access to the polling place, handles picking up the election supplies before Election Day, and returns them to a designated drop-off site on election night.
Assistant Poll Clerk
Responsible for helping the Poll Clerk open and close the polls. During voting hours, this person uses an iPad mini and walks the line to verify voters are at the correct polling place. If there are no voters in line, they assist the Poll Clerk wherever needed.
Poll Deputy
This poll worker is stationed outside the voting room on Election Day to maintain order at the polling place. They set up voting booths and put out election signage at the polls. The Poll Deputy needs to pass a background clearance conducted by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Help Desk Oath Person
This poll worker is a sworn deputy of the Supervisor of Elections office for Election Day. They help voters who present exceptions to the normal voting pattern by checking voter records using the elections office-issued tablet and/or contacting the Supervisor of Elections office.
ePoll Book Inspector
Locates voters’ names in the ePoll tablets to determine their eligibility to vote in that precinct. They also issue ballots to voters.
Voting Systems Inspector
Responsible for the set-up, operation, and closing of the tabulator (voting machine) and the ADA equipment available to voters with a disability.
Connect & Get Involved
Have a question or need assistance? Our team is here to help. Reach out and we’ll make sure you get the information or support you’re looking for.
To report a security issue or vulnerability, please email us at reporting@ocfelections.gov
Poll Worker Interest Form
Thank you for your interest in becoming a poll worker!
- Are you a registered voter in Orange County?
- Our office is also looking for bilingual poll workers!
If so, please sign up to become a poll worker for the 2025 Election please access link below and complete the form. Our Election team will reach out to you to set you up for an orientation and training.
We encourage anyone who is interested to submit this form. There are elections each year, and we always need poll workers for them.