16-, 17-year-olds to work election day polls

By Susie Chen
<susiechen@hilite.org>

At 5 a.m. on Nov. 4, while some students are sleeping, junior Luke Bunting will be at his assigned precinct’s polling office, setting up for when the doors open at 6 a.m. for the voting to begin.

Bunting said, “Being able to work the polls is an extremely awesome opportunity.”

According to an article in USA Today, the Nov. 4 election will require nearly 2 million poll-workers nationwide; this large number has election officials nationwide encouraging high school students to work the polls during election day. Indiana is one of more than 40 states that is following this trend.

On Aug. 31, 2004, the Hamilton County Election Board unanimously agreed to let 16- and 17-year-olds work as precinct officers. Social studies teacher Alicia Smith said via e-mail that the Election Board approached teachers a few years ago about making students aware about this opportunity.

She said, “Traditionally, it is hard to get enough people to work the polls. Therefore, if they can encourage students to work the polls, then they can hopefully get them coming back and working, as well as taking an interest in politics. Students also tend to have fewer barriers to being available to work. It can be a valuable learning experience for students to see all that goes into administering an election.”

Bunting said he took advantage of this opportunity because he wanted to get involved even though he isn’t old enough to vote. “This upcoming election is really important,” he said.

The students will work from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to Bunting, this is the only drawback to the situation. “I’ll have to make up (school) work, but (working the polls) will help me get involved in the election and in politics,” he said. Bunting also said that although the hours are a bit long, he did not consider it a deal-breaker.

He said, “It’s a long day, but I know that I’m going to have fun regardless, and it will help prepare me for when I vote in the future.”

According to Smith, Congress sets the election date so there are no other options for students who want to work at the polls. She said, “I believe it can be a valuable experience, so it is okay for students to miss a day of school. I hope they can learn more about elections, as well as a greater appreciation for their civic duty to actively participate in politics.”

Not only will students have the opportunity to participate in the voting process, they will also receive monetary rewards for their efforts. Clerks are paid $95 with an extra $20 for food. Judges receive an identical payment, with an extra $5 for accompanying the Inspector to the Judicial Center Tuesday evening with the results.

The form to apply is on the Hamilton County Election Office’s homepage but it is the student’s responsibility to turn in the forms to the Hamilton County Election Board. “They also will have to attend a training (session) and provide documentation for attendance for it to not count against Skip-a-Final,” Smith said.

Another way students can get involved is by campaigning for a specific party. Bunting said he encourages other students to take part in this upcoming election. “There are a lot of advantages that come along with this situation,” he said. “You get to be involved in something that is quite historic.”