Get paid to work the polls in Marion County for the 2024 election
INDIANAPOLIS (MIRROR INDY) — During May’s primary election, 1,100 poll workers kept Marion County’s vote centers running smoothly. Shannon Samson, a project manager at the Marion County Election Board who trains poll workers, is hoping for 1,600 poll workers for the Nov. 5 general election.
Anyone who is registered to vote in Marion County can apply to be a poll worker. Poll workers can get paid $100 to $200, depending on their role. High school students who are at least 16 and have a signed permission form can also apply to be a student poll worker.
Poll workers on Election Day
There are two types of poll workers: inspectors and clerks.
Inspectors are in charge at vote centers and handle problems or issues that arise. For example, if someone tries to vote in Marion County when they’re registered in Hamilton or Hendricks County, an inspector will handle the situation.
Inspectors make $200, are federally required to attend a two-hour training and have to work a full day at the polls. There are 24 options for training sessions between Oct. 16 and Oct. 3o. Training sessions are at the Election Service Center, 3737 E. Washington St.
Clerks can make up to $100, depending on if they attend training and how many hours they work. A clerk checks in voters, answers questions and helps guide people. Clerks can work a half-day.
Clerks can go to a 90-minute training class Oct. 19, 20, 26 or 27 at Arsenal Tech High School, 1500 E. Michigan St.
The Election Board will ask Indiana’s major political parties to appoint at least one poll worker to each of the vote centers in Marion County. The Election Board will make assignments to fill in any vacancies.
Poll workers for early voting
Early voting takes place from Oct. 8 to Nov. 4. Poll worker positions for early voting days are different from poll workers on Election Day.
The people who staff early voting sites, called seasonal election clerks, make $11 an hour. There is a team lead at each location, and they earn $15 an hour. Site managers, who run the location like an inspector would on election day, make $22 an hour.
The major political parties appoint individuals who have applied to these teams, and the Election Board hires them for the season. Workers can work any days they would like, and many typically work all the days of early voting at the City-County Building or another early voting site in Marion County.
Training sessions for clerks and site managers working early voting starts Oct. 4.
Mirror Indy reporter Sophie Young covers services and resources. Contact her at sophie.young@mirrorindy.org.