Will Your Polling Place Be Prepared?

As voters, we only frequent our polling places a few times a year. But for election officials, voting place management is a year-round full-time job. And this year, election managers’ jobs are bigger than ever. (So be especially kind to them, okay?)

Thanks to record-breaking voter registration drives, millions of potential new voters are entering the election system. Many election officials across the nation are already straining to process the abundance of registrations in time for Election Day while also preparing for projected history-making voter turn-outs.

How will you know if your polling place will be prepared with enough poll workers, ballots, equipment, supplies and contingency plans on Nov. 4? Perhaps the kindest way is to learn what goes on behind the scenes to prepare your polling place and to see how you can help.

While election management practices and legislation vary state-by-state, you’ll get some idea of the work and community cooperation involved by reading the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Quick Start Management Guide for Polling Places and Vote Centers

Check out the Verifier Map for detailed information about the voting systems used in your state and county. The Verifier Map is a public service provided by the Verified Voting Foundation, a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization championing reliable, accessible, and publicly verifiable elections.

Click on your state or territory on the Verifier Map to learn what kind of voting system—paper or digital—you’ll be able to use to cast your vote. Interested in lending a hand? Click on your local election jurisdiction for the name and phone number to call for poll worker training.