Election Officials

Election Day Workers staff each of the polling places in New Hanover County on Election Day. There are multiple statutory and administrative positions that an election official may be assigned. Below is an explanation of the positions, qualifications and compensation details.

Statutory Positions

Chief Judge

Each precinct is headed by an appointed Chief Judge. They are responsible for managing all Election Day activities within their precinct, picking up and returning Election Day supplies, setting up and breaking down the polling place and resolving any issues that may arise during Election Day.

Judge

Two Judges are appointed to each precinct and work closely with the Chief Judge to manage the polling place. They sign off on all official documents, aid the Chief Judge in resolving challenges and assist with polling place set up and break down.

Assistant

Assists the Chief Judge and Judges on Election Day. Assistants are assigned by the Board of Elections to work numerous administrative positions in the polling place including laptop operator, curbside coordinator, ballot distributor - among others.

Administrative Positions

Laptop Operator

Maintains the check-in station that a voter gets to upon entering the polling place. Laptop operators are specially trained in checking voters in and updating voter profiles.

Help Desk Operator

Ensures that all voters who need to vote a provisional ballot or who need some type of update to their information are processed quickly and efficiently.

Ballot Distributor

Matches voters with the correct ballot style to ensure that each voter is receiving the candidates and issues they are legally allowed to vote. The ballot station is the point in the precinct where voters receive their paper ballot.

Curbside Coordinator

Responsible for assisting voters who are unable to enter the voting enclosure due to age, physical disability or physical barriers. The curbside coordinator assists the voter to ensure the voting process is accomplished just as if they had voted inside the voting enclosure.

Line Coordinator

Assists voters as they enter, navigate, and exit the voting enclosure to ensure their voting process is as efficient and smooth as possible. 

Elections Greeter

Ensures that voters have their questions answered while they wait in the main check-in line. The elections greeter maintains proper flow of the entrance and exit lines at the polling place and hand out the "I Voted" stickers.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Must be a citizen of the United States
• Must be a registered voter of New Hanover County
• Must be of good repute and able to read and write
• May not hold elective office under the government of the United States, North Carolina, or any other political subdivision
• May not be a candidate for nomination or election
• May not hold office in any state, congressional district, county, or precinct political party or political organization
• May not hold office as a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party
• All Election Day Workers must attend at least one mandatory training session before working on Election Day
• All Election Day Workers are required to work from 5:30 am until after the polls close and all necessary procedures have been performed (Closing tasks are usually complete by 8 to 8:30 pm)

Compensation

• Chief Judges - $300
• Judges - $255
• Assistants - $225
• Training (All Officials) - $25 Per Class

Additional compensation details are not listed above and will be discussed upon assignment to an election.

One-Stop Workers staff each of the One-Stop "Early Voting" locations in New Hanover County during the 17-day "Early Voting" period. during One-Stop Voting, there are fewer polling places open and the schedule differs from that on Election Day. The location(s), dates, and times are decided on and approved by the Board of Elections prior to each election. There are multiple positions that an election official may be assigned to at a One-Stop site. Below is an explanation of the positions, qualifications, and compensation details.

Positions

Site Lead

Each One-Stop site is headed by a Site Lead. They are responsible for managing all One-Stop Voting activities within their location, picking up and returning One-Stop supplies, and resolving any issues that may arise during the day.

Judge

Two Judges are assigned to each One-Stop site per day/shift and work closely with the Site Lead to manage the location. They sign off on all official documents, aid the Site Lead in resolving challenges and assist with the management of the One-Stop location.

Assistant

Assists the Site and Judges during the One-Stop period. Assistants are assigned by the Board of Elections to work numerous administrative positions in the One-Stop location including laptop operator, curbside coordinator, and ballot distributor - among others.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Must be a citizen of the United States
• Must be a registered voter of New Hanover County
• Must be of good repute and able to read and write
• May not hold elective office under the government of the United States, North Carolina, or any other political subdivision
• May not be a candidate for nomination or election
• May not hold office in any state, congressional district, county, or precinct political party or political organization
• May not hold office as a manager or treasurer for any candidate or political party
• All One-Stop Workers must attend at least one mandatory training session before working on during the "Early Voting" period

Compensation

• Site Leads- $17 Per Hour
• All Other Positions - $15 Per Hour
• Training (All Officials) - $25 Per Class

Additional compensation details are not listed above and will be discussed upon assignment to an election.

Qualified high school students interested in working the polls on Election Day are able to serve their communities as Student Election Assistants (SEAs). They are paid for training and their work on Election Day when Student Election Assistants serve alongside New Hanover County Election Officials to ensure full staff coverage of all polling places.

Most SEAs serve as laptop operators on Election Day. In this role, the Student Election Assistant maintains one of the check-in stations that a voter gets to upon entering the polling place. Laptop operators are specially trained in checking voters in and updating voter profiles.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Must be a citizen of the United States
• Must be at least 17 years old by Election Day
• Must be a resident of New Hanover County
• Must be enrolled in a public or private high school or home school
• Must be in good academic standing
• Must have permission from a parent, guardian or legal custodian
• Must have permission from school principal or director
• All Student Election Assistants must attend at least one mandatory training session before working on Election Day
• All Student Election Assistants are excused from class and required to work from 5:30 am until after the polls close and all necessary procedures have been performed (Closing tasks are usually complete by 8 to 8:30 pm)

Compensation

• Student Election Assistants - $225
• Training - $25 Per Class

Additional compensation details are not listed above and will be discussed upon assignment to an election.

A Multipartisan Assistance Team (MAT) is a group of voters who have been appointed by the New Hanover County Board of Elections to provide assistance with absentee-by-mail voting to voters living at assisted-living facilities. MATs consist of at least two voters of different party affiliations who visit assisted-living facilities as needed throughout the Absentee Voting period.

MAT Services Offered

• Requesting an absentee-by-mail ballot
  • MATs provide the absentee ballot request form and may help fill it out if necessary. The Multipartisan Assistance Team will deliver the completed form back to the Board of Elections office and the ballot will be mailed to the voter in the following days.
• Casting an absentee-by-mail ballot
  • Once a mail-in absentee ballot has been requested, the ballot will arrive to the voter in the mail. MATs can help with marking the ballot, completing the return envelope, and serving as witnesses to the act of voting.

• Compensation

• MAT Members - $40 Per Visit
• Training - $25 Per Class

Additional compensation details are not listed above and will be discussed upon assignment to an election.