By Raanan Geberer
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BROOKLYN – Once a year – or twice a year, if they vote in the primaries – voters come face to face with poll workers. Some may wonder where they come from and who hires them?

Well, there are more than one type of poll worker. And it’s not hard to become one – it’s done by filling out a form that can be accessed online.

The majority are hired through the city’s Board of Elections. On the Board of Elections’ web site, we see several job descriptions.

The “inspector/poll clerk� is basically responsible for operations in each location, including opening the polls, serving voters and closing the polls. Inspectors collect a voter card from each voter, remind voters how the voting machine works, and ensure that the vote is accurate.

The “information clerk� uses the Street Finder and Poll Site List to direct voters to their correct election district (ED) and poll site. Sites typically contain several machines, one for ED. He or she is seated at a table near the main entrance to the poll site.

A “door clerk� ensures that an alternate entrance to the polling site is accessible throughout the day. He also monitors the entrance to prevent unauthorized individuals (such as people who are trying to electioneer) from entering, and checks to see that a ramp or platform is in place for disabled voters if required. He also checks that "Vote Here/Vota Aqui" signs are displayed in the right place.

Inspector Tells About His Routine

Each polling place also has a Democratic inspector and a Republican inspector, who are generally nominated by the local political club, district leader or county committee. This writer has a friend who has served as a Democratic poll inspector for many years.

“It’s a long day, starting at 5:30 a.m.,� this inspector, who is on the executive board of his local Democratic club, says. Maybe that’s why these poll workers and inspectors all seem to have boxes of cookies or doughnuts. It’s not that uncommon, by the way, to see the Republican and Democratic inspectors at the same table, acting as if they were best friends.

“We get an hour for lunch,� he continues, adding that the worst thing he’s ever seen happen is a voting machine malfunctioning – in which case the borough office of the Board of Elections must be called and paper ballots used temporarily.

Asked how he got involved, he says, “My district leader appointed me. Once I did it once, I started getting notices every year. Usually I get a notice a few days beforehand, telling me where to report.�

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