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Students recruited as voting judges

Counties select high schoolers to work alongside older volunteers

By Myung Oak Kim, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published May 30, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Emily Brien, 15, talks with Mike Lyons, an elections operations manager at Chaparral High School. Brien and her friend, Harmonie Edelson, 15, (not pictured) are trying to recruit high school voters. "I'm interested in getting my peers and seniors to vote and be a part of this election," Brien said.

Photo by Brian Lehmann / Special To The Rocky

Emily Brien, 15, talks with Mike Lyons, an elections operations manager at Chaparral High School. Brien and her friend, Harmonie Edelson, 15, (not pictured) are trying to recruit high school voters. "I'm interested in getting my peers and seniors to vote and be a part of this election," Brien said.

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Harmonie Edelson has never stepped inside a polling place.

Neither has Ross Weistroffer or Alec Loudenback.

But on Aug. 12 and Nov. 4, the three high school students will work alongside people four times their age to help run the election.

The teens also are recruiting classmates to join them through a new program started by Douglas County Clerk Jack Arrowsmith in partnership with the Douglas County School District.

Arrowsmith hopes one in four election judges at each polling site in his county will be high school students. That amounts to 200 of the 800 judges he expects to hire, Arrowsmith said.

Dedicated poll workers - also known as election judges - are the backbone of elections. They check-in voters, operate the voting and counting machines and process ballots. The skill and experience of poll workers can make or break elections, clerks say.

In preparation for a presidential election that is expected to draw record turnout, clerks across the state have been working to increase and diversify their election judge pool - long dominated by seniors who are not especially adept at computers or energetic enough to withstand 14-plus-hour days.

The average age of election judges nationwide is 72. Arrowsmith said more than 80 percent of his past election workers have been seniors.

The problem with an aging election judge population became apparent in 2007.

Denver received more mail ballots than expected and could accommodate just over 100 people to process them.

As election night wore on, the elderly judges got tired and left.

1,200 workers apply

This year, Denver elections officials plan to hire about 2,000 people to work the elections.

They're creating two groups: poll workers who get paid $120 including training and must commit to a 14-hour day, and temporary workers who get paid $10.87 an hour and will be rotated in shifts.

So far, the Denver clerk's office has received more than 1,200 applications. The office also expects to hire a significant number of students.

Arrowsmith decided to take a different approach to his recruitment of teens.

In early 2007, he approached Douglas County School District Superintendent Jim Christensen with the idea of finding high school students to create and run their own recruiting program. The district got on board, and decided to close high schools for the general election.

That allows the schools to be used as polling places. It also eliminates the concern about outsiders roaming halls while classes are in session, Arrowsmith said.

Arrowsmith said he was surprised at how enthusiastic the students were about the recruiting program.

"They're just full of energy and good ideas," he said.

One big difference between the teens compared to the older workers is their tie to computers.

His office communicates with adult election judges through the mail because most of the older workers don't use e-mail.

But the students not only depend on e-mail, they also requested and received a blog to use for sharing information.

Edelson, 15, is one of the youngest organizers. The sophomore at Chaparral High School in Parker is working with about 25 students from the county's eight high schools to organize the drive.

Student judges get community service credit, which is necessary to graduate in their county. The judge pay will go back to the schools for programs.

"I think it's just a really good opportunity to get involved and learn," said Edelson, who will turn 16 Aug. 1.

Volunteer numbers up

Loudenback, 17, a junior at Ponderosa High School in Parker, joined the recruiting committee after hearing about it from his classmate.

He said this election will be historic because of the potential to elect the country's first black or female president.

"I miss being able to vote by three months, but I wanted to be involved in this election process," Loudenback said.

Some counties are taking a different approach to attracting workers - raising the pay.

Larimer County also expects to hire at least 200 student judges.

Clerk Scott Doyle said his county has not had difficulty finding enough judges. In fact, they turned people away in past years.

"However, we do not want to discourage the public from applying," he said.

Sisters Caitlin and Faith Kadlub of Roggen served as student judges in the last three elections in Weld County.

Caitlin, 19, and Faith, 17, plan to work the elections this year.

"I like being part of the political process and in America, it's such a privilege," Caitlin said.

kimm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2361