What Do We Actually Know About Poll Worker Recruitment in the United States? Poll Worker Recruitment Policies and Data Problems in the Election Assistance Commission Report

Abstract

Well trained and competent poll workers are a necessary component for the functioning of elections in the Untied States. Despite their importance, little systematic information is known about the effect of state-level policies governing poll worker recruitment. In this article, I assess the effect of recruitment policies and local demographic and political characteristics on the ease with which local election officials are able to recruit poll workers. While less restrictive policies on who can be recruited to work the polls eases the challenge of recruitment, underlying demographics and income levels are also important for understanding where poll worker recruitment is difficult. Additionally, I demonstrate that The U.S. Election Assistance Commission's (EAC) reports on poll worker recruitment—used widely by public and private researchers and policymakers in the United States—are incomplete. These data issues are most severe among states formerly covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. This article aims to lay a groundwork for understanding policies related to poll worker recruitment and the challenges ahead for researchers attempting to use EAC data. These findings are important for policymakers aiming to craft policy alleviating the burdens of poll worker recruitment efforts.