Election Judges Needed!

This November, Americans will head to the polls to elect our next president, congressmen, and statewide and local officials. These elections are integral to ensuring our democracy continues to reflect the will of the people. While elections can seem as simple as just casting a vote for the candidates you prefer, it is a complicated process behind the scenes, requiring many people, mostly volunteers, to function properly.

James McLaughlin ‘26 and Jackson Armacost ‘26, are two such volunteers engaging with the election process through BaltimoreVotes, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to advancing democracy in Baltimore. Jackson commented, “If you're politically interested at all on any level, really, this is a really good opportunity for you to get in the game”. This organization places a particular emphasis on engaging local leaders who will encourage their communities to vote. They aim for “a future for our city where every person, in every precinct, votes in every election.” BaltimoreVotes hopes to sign up volunteers, election judges, and student volunteers—some of whom, including James, are part of the student advisory board, which is responsible for recruiting students across Baltimore to join the election process. 

Students who will be 16 years old and older by election day are eligible to serve as election judges if they have also registered to vote in Maryland. All you need to register is a form of identification, such as a learner’s permit or a Social Security number. If interested, you can apply to be an election judge by going to baltimorevotes.org/student and filling out the form at the bottom of the page. After signing up, you must complete a three-and-a-half-hour training session on October 18 or 19. On election day, you will be working from 5:45am to at least 10pm, which is a total of at least 16.25 hours. Students 14 and 15 years old can also apply to serve as an election page, where they help election judges and voters, working at least one four-hour shift on election day.

While working a 16-hour day may appear daunting, there are many benefits to working as an election judge. First, you will be paid $300 for your work, which translates to roughly $20 per hour. Additionally, election pages may also receive community service credit for their work. Jackson adds, “You need election judges and you need people to help out with elections for the elections to run, and elections [are] like the core to democracy.” This opportunity is a great chance for anyone interested in politics to gain insight into how elections run and to help our democracy run smoothly. Additionally, meals will be provided, so there is no need to worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Volunteers may not earn the same fame and recognition as presidential candidates or senate candidates or even mayoral candidates, but they are even more important to the election process than any of these candidates. While candidates come and go, the strength of our democracy cannot waver, but this strength can only come from the will of ordinary American citizens.