poll worker

American  

[pohl wur-ker] / ˈpoʊl ˌwɜr kər /

noun

1. a person who volunteers and is officially appointed or trained by a local board of elections to facilitate and oversee elections, including checking in voters, issuing and collecting ballots, and explaining and monitoring the polling equipment.

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Etymology

Origin of poll worker

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

poll worker

Three months after Tired_Thumb learned of the government investigation, a New York poll worker named Paigelynne Gonyea received a voicemail from a man identifying himself as an agent with Homeland Security.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

If there is a line when the polls close, a poll worker stands at the back of the line to let people who arrive after 8 p.m. know that the polls have closed.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Sunil Singh*, a poll worker in Ghaziabad, said that his "platelet count had dropped" sharply in the past couple of days but he wasn't being allowed to take leaves because of SIR duties.

From BBC ● Dec. 7, 2025

I’m a poll worker in metro Atlanta, and I’m already twitchy about the election.

From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2024

Even though she was accompanied by her husband, she said she was ignored until a poll worker grabbed her cane and pulled her toward a voting booth.

From Seattle Times ● Apr. 2, 2023