Maricopa County looking to hire thousands of poll workers ahead of midterm elections

Maricopa County Elections Department is looking to hire nearly 3,000 poll workers for the upcoming midterm elections. With the increased interest in the voting process since the 2020 election, recruiters are hoping it helps attract more applicants.

PHOENIX - Jan. 25 is National Poll Worker Recruitment Day and that means the Maricopa County Elections Department is hiring ahead of this year's all-important midterm elections.

If the 2020 election was any indication, poll workers will continue to have an important role to play. Spurring off the 2020 election as well, many people have taken more of an interest in elections and how they work than ever before.

The county's election department says curious and passionate potential poll workers are encouraged to apply.

"We have noticed a lot of people have questions and a lot of people do have an interest to know more about what it means to be a poll worker in Maricopa County," said Ericka Flores with the elections department.

Nearly 3,000 poll workers are needed as the state gears up for election season.

"Poll workers are such a crucial part of the election process," Flores said. "They greet people, voters, at the door, they walk them through the election process."

Positions start at $12.80 an hour, and there are all different kinds of jobs to apply for – from greeters, team leaders and truck drivers.

It's not a one-day job, either. Voting locations can be open up to a month, so they are looking for people to fulfill that time period.

It's only a good thing that people have grown to become even more curious about the election process, the elections department says, following the presidential election.

"That is a great thing for us to be able to have poll workers interested, so they can work with us and learn about the process, so they can have that hands-on training, and they can understand how we run elections," Flores explained.

To become a poll worker, you must be 18 or older, registered to vote. Recruiters are looking for people of all different backgrounds and political parties.

More information about applying to become a poll worker in Maricopa County can be found here: https://recorder.maricopa.gov/getinvolved/