SUMMARY
A new report reveals a historic amount of turnover within local elections offices, but also the resiliency of that workforce.
View the transcript of the story.
News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.
WARM-UP QUESTIONS
- What does the report mentioned in this story say about election workers leaving their roles?
- Why has turnover been so high, according to Miles Parks?
- How does the report indicate "good news and bad news," according to Parks?
- When did election work start to become harder, according to this story?
- Where has turnover been the highest (what states)?
FOCUS QUESTIONS
- What do you think state officials can do to better attract and retain election workers?
- What can states do to build trust in the fairness and safety of elections?
Media literacy: Who wrote the report at the heart of this story? (You can look at the transcript here if you are uncertain). What can you find out about this organization? What is their mission and how did they gather information for their report?
Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?
FOR MORE
What students can do: Did you know young people can volunteer as election workers? Watch the video below, and then look up the rules in your own state for what qualifications you need to be an election volunteer.
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