Hidalgo County Elections Department seeks to hire 900 poll workers
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The November election is opening up jobs in Hidalgo and Cameron counties.
Hidalgo County alone is looking to hire 900 people. For Michelle Burton, working the polls has become tradition.
"I've been doing it now for probably about 15 years. From election worker to judge to alternate judge, actually to watching people vote," Burton said.
Even as a seasoned poll worker, she admits that working on election day can be challenging, especially when voter turnout is high.
"It can be stressful if you are not prepared to work big lines, a lot of people, depending on what party you are with. Some have more machines than others. I worked in an election where I only had three machines to start with," Burton said.
She says having a good turnout of poll workers can make all the difference on election day.
"If you stand in long lines and you don't have enough people working in the polls, it takes longer to get through the line. The more people you have helping in the polls, the faster you get through with your vote," Burton said.
It's why the Hidalgo County Elections Department is hoping to hire 900 poll workers for the November general election.
RELATED STORY: Cameron County seeking 500 election workers ahead of November Midterms
Hidalgo County Elections Administrator Hilda Salinas says a full crew is key to making sure things run smoothly.
"We do have polling locations that do receive high voter turnout, so we want to make sure that we have enough judges, poll workers and alternate judges to be able to run the polling location," Salinas said.
The elections department usually hires between 700 and 900 poll workers. To ensure they hit their mark, they're increasing the pay rate by $3 an hour.
Election judges will get paid $19 an hour, alternate election judges will get paid $17 an hour, and election clerks will get paid $15.
"The main goal is to be able to recruit people and to serve the community and work at a polling location, be part of the election process," Salinas said.
For Burton, working the election is more than a temporary job; it's a civic duty she hopes others will embrace.
"Please get involved and protect our county and our state. We need everybody to be involved and support the local community and know what's going on here," Burton said.
Anyone interested in working at the voting polls in Hidalgo County must be a registered voter. They will also need to complete an online poll worker training session and be available to work on Election Day.
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