Election Official Position

Each precinct is staffed with the following election officials:

• Chief Judge - Head official in charge of the precinct on election day. Chief Judges are responsible for contacting the voting place to make arrangements for the election, opening and closing the polls, overseeing the operation of the polling place on election day, picking up and returning equipment and materials, and submitting election day results to the Board of Elections after the polls close.
• Judge - There are 2 Judges appointed to each precinct. They work closely with the Chief Judge, sign all official documents, assist with setting up equipment, and attend to voters. Judges are responsible for conducting the election in the Chief Judge’s absence. 
• Assistants - Precinct workers serve various rolls such as check-in,  DS200 or ballot table attendant. These workers should be friendly and have excellent customer service skills.

The Chief Judge and Judges are appointed by the Rowan County Board of Elections based on political party and recommendation. Assistants should represent both parties and diversity of the precinct, whenever possible. Only one member of a family may serve as an election official within the same precinct.

Qualifications

To be a poll worker you must be:

• registered to vote in Rowan County.
• of good repute.
• able to read, write, and follow direction. 
• physically able to walk easily to assist curbside voters.
• physically able to lift election equipment up to 30 lbs.
• skilled at using a computer if working at check-in.

No person shall be eligible to serve as a precinct official who:

• holds any elected government office, or precinct political party or political organization.
• is a candidate for nomination or election.
• is the wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, or sister of any candidate for nomination or election.
• is the wife, husband, mother, father, son daughter, brother or sister of another precinct official in the same precinct. 
• manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party.

Ref: G.S. 163-41

The Board of Elections may remove any precinct official for misbehavior, neglect of duty or insubordination toward the precinct’s Chief Judge.

Training

General Statute 163-46 requires Chief Judges and Judges to attend training sessions conducted by the Board of Elections prior to each election. Assistants may also be required to attend training if they are working at check-in. Precinct election officials are paid to attend training sessions in addition to their Election Day compensation.