Vote: Make Your Voice Heard

The Allegheny County Division of Elections is now accepting applications for the Student Poll Worker Program. This program promotes civic awareness and educates high school students about the election process by allowing students to serve as poll workers on Election Day. Students will learn responsibility, teamwork, and leadership while serving the community.

• Each participating school must designate a School Coordinator.
• Students must meet the following requirements:
  • Be 17 years or older on election day
  • Be a U.S. Citizen and a resident of Allegheny County
  • Be enrolled in a secondary educational institution and meet academic requirements as determined by that educational institution
  • Have a teacher recommendation, principal approval and parent or guardian consent

• Students must complete an application form and secure signatures from:
  • A recommending teacher
  • The school principal
  • Parent or guardian
• Students must submit the completed application to the School Coordinator
• Students must register for either a two-hour in-person or a one-hour online Poll Worker Training class
• After receiving their assigned work location, students must confirm their participation with their School Coordinator
• Students must arrive at their assigned polling place on time and work with the Judge of Elections as directed
• Students must act in a professional manner and assist voters in the election process
• Students should make sure they sign the Poll Worker Paysheet with their social security number, address, email and telephone number with the words “Student Poll Worker.” If choosing to work for community service hours, please also write that where the student signs the pay sheet

Students are assigned to serve as clerks at a polling place on Election Day and are expected to perform the same duties as regular poll workers, including:

• Arrange for their own transportation to and from their assigned polling place
• Serve during the hours that they commit to serve, either:
  • Entire day, 6:00 a.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m.
  • Morning Shift, from 6:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
  • Evening shift, from 1:00 p.m. until approximately 9:00 p.m.
    You may choose to be paid for your shift or apply your time towards community service hours
• Assist in opening the polling place (if serving entire day or morning shift)
• Assist voters
• Assist in closing the polling place (if serving entire day or evening shift)

Student use of cell phones and other electronic devices is prohibited when voters are in the polling location, except in an emergency.

Although the county needs poll workers countywide for every election, there are some areas that have a greater need than others. As a result, the county cannot guarantee that a student will be placed in the polling location for the voting precinct where they live. County Elections staff will match students to polling locations in close proximity to their homes. We encourage teachers to submit applications as early as possible to give our office more time to work with your students in finding a convenient location for them to serve on Election Day.

• Students receive up to $170 for serving as a poll worker ($20 for training and $150 for working the entire day, $75 for working morning or evening shift) or community service hours for time worked.
• Please note: Students cannot be paid if they only attend training and do not work Election Day. Stipends will be sent approximately 2 weeks following Election Day.
• Get experience for resume or college application
• Demonstrate a record of responsibility, teamwork, and leadership
• Learn and participate in the election process first-hand

In order to help educators track student placements and community service hours, a pre-election and post-election summary will be e-mailed to the School Coordinator. The summary indicates which students were placed on a precinct board and which students served on Election Day.

Here is what you need to do to make sure your mail-in ballot is counted.

Find your legislator and your polling place. Alternatively, learn more about absentee and mail-in ballots. You can access the new mail-in ballot option here. 

Visit Vote411 for a step-by-step checklist.

 Participate in National Voter Registration Day, September 17, 2024.

Draw the Lines PA is a statewide civic education and engagement initiative for Pennsylvanians to draw election maps. It is led by three regional steering committees, which work with DTL‘s parent organization, the Committee of Seventy, a group based in Philadelphia.

Turbo Vote is a nonprofit, nonpartisan voter registration service that encourages students to become involved in political action by helping them and others register. This makes voting easy, supports community action and fosters digital citizenship. 

Voting in Pennsylvania is easy! Check out the Pennsylvania state voter website to learn more about your options, register to vote, check your registration status, and learn what to expect at the polls.