Election workers must be a resident Johnson County, and:

• Must be registered to vote at their current address
• Complete mandatory election worker training
• Be available for the complete day on election day

Residents can get more information or apply to become an election worker on the Johnson County Election Office website at https://jocoelection.org/election-workers or call 913-715-6836.

“An election worker is typically a community-minded person who wishes to be part of the election process. Election workers perform a valuable community service by assisting fellow voters at polling sites and performing other duties at the election office,” Sherman said. “They are a critical part of the election process to ensure the conduct of elections is accurate and fair.”

Duties of election workers include verifying voter registration, issuing ballots and ensuring that voters receive the correct ballot, giving voting procedure instructions, operating voting equipment and maintaining an orderly flow at polling places.

“We follow the law. That’s what we do,” Gulick said.

Election workers often do not train together and frequently meet for the first time when they meet at their assigned voting location. They quickly become strangers no longer, assigning tasks and ensuring safety by arriving, working and leaving as a group.

“We watch out for one another,” Christmore said.

On election day, polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Election workers are expected to be at their assigned voting site at least one hour early to get the location and voting machines ready for voters. They need to stay about one hour, on average, after closing to clean up and complete the election process.

“It’s a hectic day,” Gulick said with a message to peer poll workers. “We’re going to be a team. We’re going to be busy. We’re going to have fun together.”

So, the pay comes out to less than $8 an hour for election workers and an average 14-hour working day at the polls.

“You don’t do it for the pay,” Gulick said with a smile, adding: “We ensure the process works.”