This past Election Day, November 5th, I was one of many Southwest students to serve as a student election judge. It was a really good experience and I would highly recommend it. It is a great way for young people to be involved in our election system, especially for those of us who can’t vote. With this year’s election having so much importance for our country, it is rewarding to be able to say that I was part of it.
The process of becoming an election judge was quite simple. I went to the city’s student election judge website where I filled out a couple of forms. I quickly heard back from someone from the election department who got me set up with their portal. From there, I submitted a request to work this election and was assigned to a polling place the next day, which was Anthony Middle School. You are guaranteed to be assigned to a precinct in Minneapolis and it will likely be pretty close to where you live. Throughout the entire process, they communicated frequently and clearly with helpful information, and it was easy to ask questions.
You must be at least 16 years old. There is a mandatory 3-hour training in the month before the election and then you choose to work an 8-hour or 15-hour shift on election day. You get to choose whether you volunteer or get paid. Volunteering can be great for NHS or IB CAS hours. Paid judges earn $17.15 an hour. Whichever you choose, it looks great on college applications and resumes. You also get great experience working with others and improve your communication skills with people you don’t know.
On Election Day, I got to work various different jobs. My favorite part was checking in voters and helping new voters register. I also helped count and distribute ballots, direct voters, and help them with any questions they had. Everyone I worked with was very helpful and the day went smoothly.
If you are interested in becoming an election judge next year, I would visit the Minneapolis student election judges website sometime next summer. The primary election is in August and the general election is in November so you’ll want to fill out the forms at least a month before (I would recommend earlier) the election you want to work. You won’t regret participating in our democratic process!
