Democracy For All Florida knows that poll workers are essential workers of our democracy, making sure the basic act of casting a ballot is available to anyone who is eligible and wants to vote. They are also our democracy’s first line of defense and play a key role in ensuring our elections are fair, safe, and accessible.
Unfortunately, election administrators across the country are reporting poll worker shortages. Poll worker shortages threaten access to voting by leading to polling location closures and long lines, especially in communities of color and low-income communities.
To help combat poll worker shortages across Florida, Democracy For All Florida hosted a 4-day phone bank from October 4-8 with 20 canvassers to recruit poll workers in two counties of need, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach County.
We reached out to high-propensity voters in BIPOC communities in both counties. In Miami-Dade County we were able to call 49,899 voters and recruited 212 people to apply to become poll workers! In Palm Beach County we called 11,026 voters and recruited 80 to apply to become poll workers!
While making calls, we also recruited voters to become DFA members. We had 379 voters in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties who were interested in being a volunteer and joining the fight to protect voter access in BIPOC communities!
You can learn more about what it means to be a poll worker and how to sign up in our Make a Change, Become a Poll Worker! blog.
Ready to sign up today to become a poll worker? It’s not too late, sign up today!