In honor of national Help America Vote Day, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt on Jan. 30 encouraged eligible Pennsylvanians to sign up to serve as poll workers for the April 23 Primary Election and Nov. 5 General Election.

“Elections wouldn’t be possible if not for the roughly 45,000 poll workers across more than 9,000 voting locations in the Commonwealth helping their friends and neighbors exercise their right to vote,” Schmidt said. “I applaud these voters who take the time to work at the polls on Election Day and help make democracy possible.”

Poll workers play a vital role.

“Serving as a poll worker is one of the most rewarding acts of civic engagement you can ever perform,” Schmidt said. “I urge any eligible Pennsylvanian who wants to help strengthen democracy to become a poll worker.”

Schmidt was joined by Deputy Secretary for Libraries and State Librarian Susan Banks..

“Our Pennsylvania public libraries are essential contributors to democracy,” Banks said. “Libraries provide reliable information, individual support for folks who need help navigating voting processes, and they support civic literacy through materials, services and programs that consider all needs and points of view. Pennsylvanians can trust their libraries to help.”

Pennsylvania’s poll workers must be registered voters, which means they must meet voter registration eligibility criteria.

Pennsylvania also allows 17-year-old high school juniors and seniors to serve as poll workers if they obtain permission from their school principal and their parent or guardian.

Benefits of becoming a poll worker include:

• Being paid for trainings and for Election Day work,

• Learning about elections in Pennsylvania,

• Gaining valuable experience, and

• Helping your community.

Registered voters interested in becoming a poll worker should fill out the Department of State’s Poll Worker Interest Form.

Seventeen-year-old juniors and seniors who are interested should fill out the Department’s Student Poll Worker Interest Form.

For more information about Help America Vote Day and becoming a poll worker in Pennsylvania, follow #ReadytoVotePA and the Department’s accounts on social media: Instagram/X:@PaStateDept, Facebook:@PADepartmentofState and LinkedIn:@pa-department-of-state.