Working the Polls & Serving as an Officer of Elections

Thank you for your interest in serving Roanoke County as an Officer of Elections!

Officers of Elections work the polls on Election Days to ensure that Elections are run in an honest and well-organized manner. Roanoke County needs 300+ workers in its 33 precincts for each General Election. Working as an Election Officer is a rewarding way to serve your fellow citizens while learning about and ensuring the proper function of the Democratic process in Roanoke County! We look forward to working with you soon!

Roanoke County typically holds 2-3 elections a year; officers may opt out of serving if a personal conflict arises.
Each election day is a 15+ hour commitment and all officers are required to attend a mandatory training session before serving
Election Officers receive a $250 stipend for working each election; increased stipends come with future promotions and additional responsibilities.

Roanoke County now utilizes an Officer of Election Portal from Soch/Integra to manage all OOE information and assignments; once registered and approved, officers will be able to use the portal to change their availability, update their contact information, select/edit their training sessions, and view their precinct assignments, etc.

For New Applicants

For Current/Previous Pollworkers

Submit your information to the Electoral Board by visiting the Sign Up page on our Officer of Election Portal below. After your application is received and your voter registration is verified, you will receive a follow-up call or email from Roanoke County Elections asking you to accept a 2-year appointment and will be asked to complete a Response to Notice of Appointment prior to the start of your first training session. You will receive interest/scheduling polls prior to each election.

If you have not registered with our Officer of Election Portal before, please follow the directions in the video you’ll see after visiting the Log In page below; you will need to click the link to register with the email address you provided our office and will then receive a temporary password to login and set your new account password. If you have already registered, click the image below, enter your email address and password, check the “I’m not a robot” box, and then click the gray “Login” button..

Common Officer of Elections Questions & Answers:

Who can be an Election Officer?

You are eligible to work if you:

Are detail-oriented, able to take direction well, and not easily distracted
Are a registered voter in the Commonwealth
Are willing to work long hours (15 or more hour day)
Do not hold elected office or are not the employee or deputy of an elected official
Enjoy meeting other people and serving the public

When are Elections held?

General Elections are held each year on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Primary Elections, if called for, are held on the third Tuesday in June. Special elections are scheduled as necessary.

Election Officers arrive at the assigned polling place at 4:45/5 a.m. on Election Days and must remain until results are called in at the end of the night. Polling places are always open from 6 a.m. until 7 p.m.

What do Election Officers do?

Most Election Officers work in the precinct polling places. Their duties include:

Arriving at the polling place at 5 a.m. on Election Day
Assisting handicapped voters as necessary
Directing voters to voting booths and assisting with voting equipment
Processing voters by checking their names off Electronic Poll Books
Provide and assure privacy as citizens cast their vote
Setting up voting machines and signs to prepare the polling place for voting
Tallying results, securing the voting machines, and closing the polling place

Are Election Officers paid?

Election Officers are paid for their service on Election Day. The base pay for each Officer of Election is $250 per election, though officers who are willing to serve as a precinct Chief or Assistant Chief earn more due to the additional responsibilities they assume. All election officers are required to attend Officer Training prior to each election and must serve in Roanoke County for at least one General Election before they can be considered for any available Chief or Assistant Chief positions.

Is training provided?

All Election Officers are required to attend a training class prior to each Election. Classes are held at the Roanoke County Department of Elections. Officers are contacted through the Officer of Election Portal about their availability, scheduling training, and their precinct assignment starting approximately eight weeks prior to each Election Day. .

Will I work in my own polling place?

Whenever possible, Election Officers are assigned to work at their own polling places. However, if additional officers are needed at other precincts or no vacancies are available at your preferred polling place, you may be asked to work at another precinct.

How do I become an Election Officer?

The best way to become an Officer of Elections is to apply via Roanoke County's new Officer of Election Portal. Alternatively, you may complete the Election Officer Interest Form online through the State Board of Elections and wait for your submission to be forwarded to our office. For more information, please contact the Elections office at 540-772-7500.