Student Election Worker: A Comprehensive Guide

High school students aged 16 and older have a unique opportunity to actively participate in the democratic process by serving as election clerks. This guide provides a detailed overview of the student election worker role, outlining the responsibilities, requirements, and benefits associated with this important civic duty.

What is a Student Election Worker?

Student election workers are high school students aged 16 or older who assist local election officials at polling places during early voting or on Election Day. These students play a vital role in ensuring fair and efficient elections. The program aims to increase students' awareness of the electoral process and the rights and responsibilities of voters.

Eligibility Requirements

To become a student election worker, individuals must meet specific criteria:

Age: Be at least 16 years old.
Enrollment: Be enrolled in a public or private high school or home school.
Consent: Obtain consent from the principal (or parent/legal guardian in charge of education in home school).
Authorization: The elections officials must receive written authorization from the student's parent or guardian for the student to serve in the election for which he or she is appointed.
Training: Complete any required election worker training program.

Even students who have recently graduated high school but are not yet old enough to register to vote may be eligible, provided they have parental or guardian consent. In such cases, principal consent is not required.

Application Process

Interested students can apply to become election clerks by following these steps:

Complete the Application: Fill out the Student Election Worker Application and Permission Slip, which includes a consent section for both parent/guardian and the appropriate school official.
Obtain Required Signatures: Secure signatures from their parent/guardian and school principal (or parent/legal guardian for home-schooled students).
Submit the Application: Send the completed application to the local elections officials conducting the election in which the student wishes to serve (county clerk/elections administrator, city secretary, school superintendent, etc.). Students provide all required information directly to the election officials; the school will not contact the election officials.
Attend Training: If selected, attend the required election training class before serving as a clerk.

The positions in each precinct should be filled in the order in which the students apply, assuming they meet all the requirements.

Responsibilities of Student Election Workers

Student election workers assist local election officials by filling positions at vote centers during the Early Voting period or on Election Day and working under the direction of the vote center's presiding judge. Their duties may include:

Setting up the polling location
Verifying voter registration
Issuing ballots
Assisting voters with the voting process
Maintaining order in the polling place
Counting ballots
Closing down the polling location

Student election workers can also serve as interpreters, communicating with voters who cannot communicate in English in a language that both the voter and the clerk understand.

Compensation and Benefits

Student election clerks are entitled to compensation in the same manner as other election clerks. Compensation may vary by location, but student poll workers in Sarasota County, for example, are paid \$190 for completing training and working a full election day. Election workers are paid hourly for their service.

In addition to financial compensation, student election workers gain valuable experience and benefits:

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Civic Engagement: Participate directly in the democratic process and contribute to their community.
Practical Experience: Gain practical experience by serving their community and state.
Community Service Credits: Earn community service credits for attending training and working on Election Day.
Awareness of Electoral Process: Develop a greater awareness of the electoral process and the rights and responsibilities of voters.

Excused Absence from School

Serving as an election clerk is included in the Texas Education Code’s definition of “excused absence.” To ensure an excused absence, the election official should provide each student worker with documentation, such as a time sheet, pay stub, or letter, showing that the student served as an election worker and the hours worked. It is the student's responsibility to provide this documentation to the school.

Working Hours and Curfew

Under the Texas Labor Code, the employment hours of persons 16 or older are not restricted by state law. While there are no state law curfews in Texas, some municipalities and counties may have curfews by local ordinance. However, most local curfew ordinances give exceptions for school or work-related activities, under which serving as an election worker would likely qualify.

Placement and Preferences

Students can work outside of their home precinct, as election clerks are not limited to working only in their own precincts. Up to four student election clerks may work at a single Early Voting site at a time, and up to two student clerks may work at an Election Day polling place at a time.

If a student and their parents give general consent but the student is later assigned to a polling place or time that they do not want to work, they should communicate their preferences to the local elections officials.

Election Worker Diversity

Election workers come from all walks of life, including senior citizens, baby boomers, professionals, self-employed individuals, and retirees. This creates a highly diverse workforce. Election officials also seek workers fluent in multiple languages, especially Spanish.

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