High School Student Election Judges

Student election judges play a crucial role by serving as the gatekeepers of democracy.

As part of a team of judges, you'll be responsible for helping voters and supervising polling place activity. You also get paid for it. Student election judges can earn up to $155 every election.
If you're a high school junior or senior, you may apply to serve as a student election judge even though you're not old enough to vote.

Responsibilities

Student judges share the same responsibilities, hold the same authority and perform the same tasks as other election judges. They include:

• Opening the polling place in the morning and closing it at night
• Setting up election equipment
• Providing assistance to voters
• Signing in voters
• Verifying voter qualifications
• Distributing ballots
• Operating voting equipment
• Filling out forms
• Processing and transmitting votes at the end of the day
• Certifying vote totals

Eligibility

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

• Be a high school junior or senior in good standing
• Maintain at least a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Be a U.S. citizen by the time of the election
• Successfully complete an election judge training course
• Be nominated by your high school principal
• Have written approval from a parent or legal guardian

Hours

Judges work long hours, arriving at the polling place at 5:00 am and working until the equipment is packed up after the polls close at 7 pm.

Compensation

Trained Election Judges receive $155 for the day.

Commitment

Election judges are required to work the entire day.