Poll Worker Pay

New research from the Pew Center on the States examines poll worker stipends from the country’s most populous election jurisdictions—Pew researchers looked at these counties’ election websites and contacted their elections offices—and found significant variation. For example, poll workers in New York City will collect nearly $200 each for working the upcoming November election, but in Maricopa County, Arizona, they will receive between $85 and $100.

Local election offices may also offer additional incentives to attract workers with experience or in-demand skills, or as compensation for the use of personal resources for election business. For example:

• San Diego offers an additional $15 to poll workers who are bilingual.
• Several jurisdictions compensate poll workers for mileage incurred when transporting supplies. 
• In Chicago, workers who use personal cell phones for Election Day business receive $5.
• New York City provides an extra $35 to poll workers who work two elections in one year.

Poll Worker Stipends for Attending Training and Working Election Day 

Note: Stipend ranges are taken from jurisdictions’ websites and from calls for poll workers appearing in local news sources. Stipends are hourly in Dallas and Harris Counties in Texas and in Orange County, California and in these jurisdictions, Election Day compensation is calculated based on how long polls are open.