Commentary: Big Tent Ideas

J. CHRISTIAN ADAMS: Here’s Why Poll Workers Create Fair Elections

Voters at a polling place in 2020. (Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)

Poll workers are essential to free and fair elections. They help run the voting locations and check voters in.

In the 2020 election, there was a shortage of poll workers. Wisconsin even had to activate the National Guard to help assist as poll workers. The shortage of poll workers also led to long lines for people who showed up to vote in person on Election Day.

Today marks the nonpartisan civic holiday, National Poll Worker Recruitment Day, aiming to address the need for poll workers to sign up and monitor the general election in November.

Working on election law for two decades, the question I hear most is: “What can I do to help?”

Easy. The answer is to sign up to be a poll worker or poll watcher. These are both critical roles that help Americans vote and ensure that we have a transparent election process.

Nearly every county in the nation needs help on election day. Polls are run by Americans just like you.

A poll worker helps check voters in, explains voting procedures and makes sure voters understand how to use voting equipment.

If you live in a state with voter ID, the poll worker will check your driver’s license or whatever form of ID you provide with the poll book to prove you are who you say you are and that you are registered to vote.

A poll worker will give instructions for casting a ballot and show how to use the voting machine. These are crucial instructions that need to be followed, so a ballot will be counted.

Another important role in ensuring the integrity of our elections is poll watchers. Poll watchers observe and monitor elections to confirm that rules are being followed. In some states, poll watchers may even challenge the eligibility of voters or the validity of ballots.

I can personally attest to how important poll workers are to stopping cheating and other funny business. In my time at the Department of Justice, I served as an election observer. I have also witnessed election workers counting paper ballots and tallying votes for the opposite of what the voter marked.

Unfortunately, some state laws make it extremely difficult to find poll watchers.

In Pennsylvania, a poll watcher must reside in the county where the polling place is located. In one-party dominated areas – such as the city of Philadelphia – this acts as a barrier to clean elections.  Party registration in Philadelphia is overwhelmingly Democrat, and it becomes very hard to find Republicans with the courage to spend all day at the polls.

Additionally, poll watchers can become witnesses. They can serve as the eyes on the process and can report wrongdoing to litigators like the Public Interest Legal Foundation who can bring lawsuits to enforce the law.

If you care about confidence in elections, sign up today to be a poll worker or watcher.

We are lucky that in America the people run our elections. In many countries, like Russia and Belarus, their elections are shams run by political elites with supporters of the opposition facing the possibility of jail or even death.

In America, the regime does not run our decentralized election process. While our election process needs improvements in many areas, we are still the best functioning Republic in the world.

It is time to get involved and restore confidence in the process.

J. Christian Adams is the president of the Public Interest Legal Foundation, a former Justice Department attorney, and current commissioner on the United States Commission for Civil Rights.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

(Featured Image Media Credit: Screen Capture/PBS NewsHour)