Summary
Election Day is less than two months away, yet there's a critical missing element that could slow down the voting process. It takes more than a million people working the polls to make American elections run smoothly. Between retirements and concerns about COVID, tens of thousands of poll workers have left the job over the past several election cycles. William Brangham reports. For a transcript of this story, click here .Five Facts
- How many workers are needed to make general elections run smoothly in the U.S., according to this story?
- Who are some of the poll workers interviewed in this story, and what are their backgrounds?
- What are some of the reasons poll workers left in recent years, according to those interviewed?
- When did recruiting poll workers begin to become a problem?
- Why are there still challenges recruiting poll workers, according to Jane Slusser?
Focus Questions
What do you think a community could do to boost numbers of poll worker volunteers? Media literacy: Did this piece answer questions about how eligible poll workers can volunteer? If not, where could you find out?For More
What students can do: Who should be eligible to be a poll worker? What are some ways volunteer poll workers could make voting more difficult and less secure rather than easier and more secure? Watch the video below and make your own list of qualities you think poll workers should have to be eligible to volunteer.Fill out this form to share your thoughts on Classroom’s resources. Sign up for NewsHour Classroom’s ready-to-go Daily News Lessons delivered to your inbox each morning.
