Last Updated: July 10, 2025
Election Day Job Requirements
- Must be a registered voter of Wake County.
- May not be a campaign manager or manager of a political party
- Cannot work in the same polling place as a near relative
- May not be a candidate for office, campaign treasurer, near relative of a candidate, or hold an elected office within a political party
- Must attend training
- Must be available to attend Monday Setup
- Must be able to work all day on Election Day
- Must be impartial
- Cannot be an Early Voting Observer
Job Duties and Pay Stipends
Chief Judge
A Chief Judge is appointed by the Board of Elections to serve as the supervisor of a polling place. Chief Judges are required to take Chief Judge Training. In addition, new Chief Judges are required to take First Time Chief Judge Training. Primary responsibilities include:
- Take responsibility for the security of the polling place and supplies
- Ensure all Officials in the precinct are following the election procedures outlined in the Election Day Manual
- Contact and assign duties to all Precinct Officials
- Contact polling place facility to arrange Monday Setup time
- Attend all required training before each election and the Monday Setup meeting
- Pick up election supplies from the BOE Operations Center on the Saturday before each election
- Pick up pollbooks and Help Table laptop at a designated location the Monday before each election
- Return supplies to Remote Site on Election Day
- Schedule the Monday Setup meeting at the polling place and notify all Officials of the meeting time
- Ensure voting begins and ends at the scheduled times
- Manage communication with media, observers, campaigners, and runners
- Serve as the main contact in the polling place for the Coordinator
- Supervise the reconciliation of ballots and other election materials after the close of the polls
For more information about the Chief Judge role, please click on the image below.
Judges
Two Judges are appointed by the Board of Elections to assist the Chief Judge with responsibilities in the polling place. Judges are required to take Basic Training. They perform the same duties as an Assistant, but have the following additional responsibilities:- Sign the Zero and Totals tapes from the Tabulator.
- Announce, “The Polls are open.”
- Insert curbside voters’ ballots into the Tabulator.
- Assist in emptying the ballot box when it becomes full.
- Sign the bags, boxes, Reconciliation Form, and last ATV.
- Mail the purple envelope containing a totals tape to the Board of Elections.
For more information about the Judge role, please click on the image below.
Assistants
Three or more Assistants are assigned to a polling place for each election depending on the number of voters eligible to vote in that precinct. Assistants are required to take Basic Training. Primary responsibilities include:- Attend training classes and Monday Setup
- Perform polling place duties as assigned by the Chief Judge
- Assist the Chief Judge in the packing of ballots and other election materials after the close of the polls.
For more information about the Assistant role, please click on the image below.
Help Table Officials
These Officials can be assigned as a Judge and Help Table Official or an Assistant and Help Table Official. Assistant and Help Table Officials perform all of the duties of a "normal" Assistant, but they have the added responsibility of working at the Help Table. Similarly, Judge and Help Table Officials perform all of the duties of a "normal" Judge, but they have the added responsibility of working at the Help Table.
Both Judge and Help Table Officials and Assistant and Help Table Officials are required to take Basic Training and Help Table Training.
For more information about the Assistant and Help Table Official role, please click on the image below.
For more information about the Judge and Help Table Official role, please click on the image below.
STAR Officials
STAR stands for Support, Trained, And Ready. These are Officials the Board of Elections relies on to fill any vacancies that open up before Election Day. STAR Officials may be trained to work as an Assistant, Assistant and Help Table Official, or Chief Judge. STAR Officials are paid the stipend rates for their assigned role listed at the bottom of this page. STAR Officials are required to attend Monday Night Setup. STAR Officials are guaranteed to work on Election Day.STAR Officials will receive an email from the Staffing Team with an assignment as soon as a position becomes available. STAR Officials will usually receive their assignment in the weeks/months before Election Day, but will receive it no later than five days before Election Day.
For more information about working as a STAR Official, please click on the image below.
On-Call Officials
These are Officials the Board of Elections dispatch on Election Day to assist in high volume polling places. On-Call Officials may be trained to work as an Assistant, Assistant and Help Table Official, or Chief Judge in order to support precincts on Election Day. On-Call Officials are paid the stipend rates for their assigned role listed at the bottom of this page. On-Call Officials do NOT attend Monday Night Setup. On-Call Officials are guaranteed to work on Election Day.
On-Call Officials receive their polling place assignment from the Staffing Team on Election Day morning between 6:00 AM - 10:00 AM. The Staffing Team tries to dispatch On-Call Officials to polling places within 10 miles of their homes.
For more information working as an On-Call Official, please click on the image below.
Student Election Assistants
Are you a student who wants to help your community and learn about elections? Become a Student Election Assistant! Student Election Assistants serve at polling places on Election Day and help facilitate the voting process. Student Election Assistants have similar responsibilities as Precinct Officials and are compensated in the same way. Responsibilities include:
- Must complete an elections training class
- Must help set up the polling place the Monday before Election Day
- Must arrive to work at the polling place at 6:00 a.m. and remain there until approximately 9:00 p.m.
To qualify to be a Student Election Assistant in Wake County, one must:
- Be a United States Citizen
- Be at least 17 years old by Election Day
- Be a resident of Wake County
- Be enrolled in a public or private high school or home school
- Be in good academic standing
- Have permission from a parent, guardian, or legal custodian
- Have permission from your school principal or director
To learn more about being a Student Election Assistant, please click on the image below.
Click here to access the Student Election Assistant application.
How Will I Get Paid?
Precinct Officials receive payment for all election work (including training) in one check 3-4 weeks after each election. Payment for completing Election Day training is only disbursed to Officials who work on Election Day. A check will be mailed to your home address. Alternatively, you may sign up for direct deposit to have your pay deposited into a checking or savings account. Precinct Officials signed up for direct deposit will receive payment several days sooner. You only need to sign up for direct deposit once, unless your bank information changes. Scroll down to learn more about direct deposit. All Officials must complete payment registration no matter the method of payment chosen.To sign up for Election Day payment or update your Election Day payment information, please click the PaymentWorks image below.
Precinct Official Training and Election Pay Rates
*You will receive an additional $15 for traveling outside of your home precinct on Election Day.