Volunteer Information
Thank you for your interest. Elections can't happen without citizen involvement!
Volunteer FAQ's
Mecklenburg County has the potential to host three (3) elections each year: a Primary Election, a Second Primary Election, and a General Election. Elections are always held on a Tuesday and the polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m. All Precinct Officials must be at the polls before they open and remain until after the polls have closed and all work is complete. The day before the election Precinct Officials set up the precinct and review procedures for Election Day.
Pay ranges between $100.00 and $200.00 for the day, depending on the position. Training is mandatory for every position before each election and pays $35.00. There is also a $25.00 payment for helping set up the Polling Place the day before the Election.
There are 195 Precincts in Mecklenburg County. Registered voters are assigned to the precincts in which they live, which is also where you will serve.
Each precinct's voting location must be staffed with a Chief Judge, a Republican Judge, a Democratic Judge, a Provisional/Transfer Assistant and an Equipment Assistant. Additional Assistants are scheduled as needed based on projected voter turn-out. See Poll Worker Positions below for more information.
To apply we ask that you fill out an application which can be found below. We have a application for Early Voting and another application for Election day. If you are interested in working during both early voting and election day, you must fill out both applications.
Poll Worker Positions
The Chief Judge is the head official and is in charge of contacting the voting place contacts and precinct officials to make arrangements for each election. The Chief Judge is responsible for handling Election Day activities, delegating duties, as well as delivering returns to the BOE office on election night. For a busy election, it can be a very long day. Chief Judges are paid $200 and must attend a mandatory training session which pays $35.
The Democrat and Republican Judges work closely with the Chief Judge and are responsible for conducting the election in the event of the Chief Judge’s absence. They must sign all official documents and serve on a panel with the Chief Judge to resolve any challenges. The Republican and Democratic Judges are paid $150 and must attend a mandatory training session which pays $35.
The Provisional/Transfer Assistant is responsible for handling provisional and transfer voters. They use the Precinct Automation Device to assist voters so typing and customer service skills are required. They must attend a mandatory training session and become proficient in the laws governing provisional and transfer voters. Provisional/Transfer Assistants are paid $125 and must attend a mandatory training session which pays $35.
Assistants perform the following tasks at precincts:
- Greet voters and provide them with the proper documentation so they can proceed to the voting area.
- Locate voter names in the poll book and mark poll books appropriately, help lead voters to the voting machines and assist with curbside voting.
- Help with crowd control.
- Help lead voters to the voting machines.
- Assist with curbside voting
Assistants are paid $100 and must attend a mandatory training session which pays $35.
The Equipment Assistant must be comfortable working with touch screen machines and understand mechanical terminology to perform duties as instructed. All Equipment Assistants must attend a mandatory training and demonstrate proficiency in opening, operating and closing voting equipment. Equipment Assistants are paid $125, and the training pays $35.