Lunch & Learn: Understanding Poll Workers, the Unsung Heroes of Our American Democracy

Poll workers are critically important to the functioning of American democracy. Yet our loose patchwork system of local election administration is under serious threat. In this session, we’ll present initial findings from an ongoing project to understand the characteristics and experiences of poll workers here in Maine: Who are they? Why do they do this work? How has recent mistrust in election integrity impacted their experience? And how does the experience of being a poll worker shape their attitudes towards elections and democracy generally?

Learn more from Rob Glover, Associate Professor of Political Science and Honors at the University of Maine; Jordan P. LaBouff, Associate Professor of Psychology and Honors at the University of Maine; and Carrie Levan, Assistant Professor of Government at Colby College. They’re currently working on this project in collaboration with local town clerks and election administration officials in Maine, as well as the Maine Secretary of State’s office. Their work is supported by an Election Protection and Enhancement Grant from the Scholars Strategy Network, an organization of university-based scholars who are committed to using research to improve public policy and strengthen democracy.

We really enjoyed putting this program together with Dr. Rob Glover, Dr. Jordan LaBouff, and Dr. Carrie LeVan. Here are a few ways to continue your learning:

Volunteer as a poll worker! Contact your local town or city clerk to inquire about opportunities to serve: https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/mu...

Read up on proposals to protect and support poll workers:
Programs like the non-partisan “Power the Polls” encourage and incentivize participation as a poll worker: https://www.powerthepolls.org/

At the state level, lawmakers have considered legislation that could help recruit poll workers and bolster confidence in election integrity: https://legislature.maine.gov/bills/d...

At the Federal level, the Election Worker Protection Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-c... would have directed resources to communities to update election infrastructure and recruit, train, and retain poll workers. The Sustaining our Democracy Act would have created a “Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program”: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-c... that would be established to allocate federal funds ($2 billion total over ten years) to states to carry out “democracy promotion activities,” including recruiting and training poll workers.

Connect with researchers in Maine:
The Maine Chapter of the Scholars Strategy network: https://scholars.org/chapter/maine is a resource for lawmakers, civic organizations, journalists, and citizens to access the knowledge and expertise of Maine-based scholars and researchers. Our mission is to ensure that public policy is driven by research and evidence, and we empower scholars to engage with stakeholders and strengthen democracy.