Every election in suburban Cook County requires a team of Election Judges and Polling Place Technicians to serve voters at the polls. These poll workers are paid $250-$400 depending on the position they work on Election Day.

• Election Judges work together to ensure their polling place is running smoothly and voters are properly served.  This position earns $250.
   
• Polling Place Technicians work directly with the election judges to assist voters and ensure their polling place is running smoothly.  Polling Place Technicians also have more responsibility for setting up and maintaining the voting equipment. Due to the additional responsibility, Polling Place Technicians receive more training and higher pay.
   
• Students also will play a critical role in the elections of 2024. Their votes will help determine who leads our nation and their service as poll workers will be critical to our democratic process.

To be eligible to serve as an election judge, you must be:

• A U.S. citizen
• A resident of Cook County
• A registered voter at your current address in Cook County
• Able to speak, read and write English
• Of good understanding and capable of performing the duties of an election judge

NOTE:  Candidates running for office and elected political party committeemen are prohibited from serving as election judges. Registered sex offenders in Illinois and every other state are not eligible to serve as election judges.  Appointed Cook County Precinct Captains ARE eligible to be Election Judges if not already excluded for the reason stated above.

Election judges have many responsibilities and perform several tasks on Election Day, including:

• Opening the polling place at 6 a.m. sharp and closing it at 7 p.m. (Workers should arrive by 5 AM to meet the 6 AM open time).
• Setting up election equipment
• Providing assistance to voters
• Signing in voters
• Verifying voter qualifications
• Distributing ballots/activation cards for touch screen machines
• Operating voting equipment
• Filling out forms
• Processing and transmitting votes when polls close
• Certifying vote totals

Want to become a paid Election Judge or Polling Place Technician? 

Visit the following:  

www.cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections/work-election-day

or

www.rowtgop.org/become_a_paid_election_judge