Poll Worker Recruitment and Retention Is a Serious Problem Nationwide
Poll workers are the unsung heroes of our democracy. These temporary workers set up polling places, check in voters, verify identification, support elderly voters and voters with disabilities, maintain machines, safeguard election security, and so much more.
Across the country, it is difficult to recruit and retain poll workers. According to the Election Assistance Commission, “47.9% of jurisdictions reported facing significant challenges in recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of poll workers for the 2024 general election.” Threats and harassment toward poll workers in the wake of the 2020 election have worsened this issue. The consequences are serious.
Staffing precincts with inexperienced or insufficient numbers of poll workers often leads to long lines and voter disenfranchisement. Local jurisdictions lose money because they feel they have to over-hire poll workers, knowing that the attrition rate in the weeks between training and Election Day for poll workers can be as high as 30%. Finally, poll worker quality quantifiably and directly correlates with voters’ confidence in elections, because smooth and positive interactions with poll workers generate trust in the system. Well-functioning elections — and in turn, democracy — depend on the recruitment and retention of committed, high-quality poll workers.
We interviewed Georgia election supervisors to see how this issue manifests in the state.
The research was conducted in equal partnership with the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda.
Georgia Particularly Needs Younger Poll Workers, But Faces Recruitment Challenges
To be honest with you, most poll workers are people with a little age on them. You know, not everybody’s young and familiar with that [technology].”
— Tammy Whitmire, Rabun County Elections & Voter Registration Director
Across Georgia, over 18,500 people served as poll workers in the 2024 election cycle. Of those, 67.2% were over the age of 61. The age distribution of poll workers is not a problem in and of itself; people of all ages can serve democracy admirably. But age can serve as a stand-in for technological fluency, and older people report difficulty in learning new technology. Meanwhile, Georgia’s elections have become significantly more technical in recent years.
Not everybody’s comfortable with a poll pad, you know, or even their own cellphone. Not everybody’s comfortable with the scanner and how to use that. If there’s problems down there, how do you fix it — those kind of more technical jobs now? Where it used to be, it was mostly pen and paper. […] There’s a lot of things now that you have to find people that have skill sets.”
— Tammy Whitmire
Not every state uses poll pads. Not every state uses scanners. There are strong reasons for Georgia to use these systems; however, their successful implementation depends on the technological literacy of frontline staff: poll workers. This means that for Georgia in particular, recruiting and retaining younger poll workers, especially digital natives, must be a priority.
Georgia’s economic strength also presents challenges for poll worker recruitment. The state has a relatively low unemployment rate, which means there is stiff competition for workers, including gig and temporary workers. Furthermore, the hours and training commitments required for poll workers are, necessarily, challenging, which creates another deterrent and pushes potential recruits toward easier gig work.
Gig stuff is so prevalent. There’s a lot of ways for people to make extra money that’s not this hard. It doesn’t require as long of days as being a poll worker does.”
— Joseph Kirk, Bartow County Election Supervisor
Altogether, Georgia counties have both a greater demand for and a shorter supply of the types of poll workers they need to run compliant elections.
Poll Worker Recruitment and Retention Is Dependent on Adequate Compensation, but Poll Workers in Georgia Are Underpaid
Poll worker pay is not standardized across the state. In Carroll County, clerks make $140 per day for a minimum 14-hour day, which works out to $10 per hour. Meanwhile, at the Wendy’s in Carroll County, as of November 2025, entry-level jobs were posted for $12 per hour. Counties that can afford to do so pay more, but not all counties can.
Georgia does not currently provide any funding for poll worker compensation. Technically, under Georgia law (OCGA 21-2-98), the state details a minimum compensation standard for poll clerks: At $60 per diem, this works out to about $4.20 per hour on Election Day. This standard is woefully outdated, having last been updated in 2010, and it is untethered to the reality of poll worker compensation. It has also never been supported by state funds.
We’ve got to increase poll worker pay rates to attract good people, to run good elections. And we just don’t have them coming back like we used to.”
— Joseph Kirk
Adequate compensation is a key factor in poll worker recruitment and retention. Poll workers choose to serve for a variety of reasons, including a sense of civic duty and social satisfaction. However, especially for new poll workers, adequate compensation significantly increases the likelihood that they will serve as poll workers and, critically, return to serve in future elections. On the other hand, in an environment where poll workers face unprecedented threats and harassment, low pay sends the message that the state does not value their safety or service.
Neighboring States Support County Poll Worker Compensation With State Funds
In response to increasing challenges with poll worker recruitment and retention, Alabama passed legislation in 2023 to increase poll worker compensation levels using state funds. South Carolina is also looking to expand its state stipend for poll workers. Georgia should look to these neighboring states and provide state funding for poll worker compensation.
The state should intervene to fund appropriate compensation levels for Georgia’s poll workers.
Recommendations
The state of Georgia should:
- Establish a state-funded stipend for elections clerks and poll managers (Georgia’s poll workers). This stipend should exceed the outdated minimum pay rates specified under Georgia law (OCGA 21-2-98.) The amount of this stipend should be increased regularly to track the rising cost of living.
- Distribute this stipend through an annual appropriation to the secretary of state’s office at the beginning of each fiscal year. Each county should receive a stipend for every clerk and manager they are required to have per precinct by law, on and before Election Day.
- Allow for counties to appropriate additional funds for their clerks and poll managers on top of the state stipend, as needed to incentivize recruitment and retention.