Park Ridge and Niles residents can earn $250 to $400 working the polls on Nov. 3. The Cook County Clerk's Office says Maine Township is one of the areas where help is needed most.
Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon announced the recruitment drive on Saturday, Sept. 26, calling on suburban residents to sign up as election judges or polling place technicians for the gubernatorial general election. Maine Township, which covers Park Ridge and Niles, is among 12 North and West Cook County townships the Clerk's Office flagged for a particular shortage of workers.
The office needs roughly 7,000 poll workers to staff 1,430 precincts across suburban Cook County for early voting and Election Day, according to the Clerk's Office.
Two paid positions are open. Election judges greet voters, check them in and keep the polling place running. They earn $250 for the day. Polling place technicians handle voting equipment setup, operation and breakdown, and earn $400. Technicians go through additional training because of the equipment responsibilities.
"Our poll workers are essential to the success of every election, and their service helps ensure that voters across Cook County can cast their ballots with confidence," Gordon said in the announcement.
To be eligible, applicants must be registered Cook County voters or eligible college or high school students. The Clerk's Office is also looking for bilingual judges in precincts with high concentrations of voters who speak Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Korean, Polish, Tagalog, Russian and other languages.
Gordon urged applicants to sign up soon so they have time to complete a required training class before Election Day. Residents can apply on the Cook County Clerk's website, email [email protected] or call 312-603-0965.
Polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3 will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the city of Park Ridge. Early voting in Park Ridge begins Oct. 19 at the Centennial Activity Center, 100 S. Western Ave., and runs through Nov. 2. Weekday hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
