Serving an Election Judge

Serving an Election Judge
Election judges play an important role in administering elections by ensuring the constitutional rights of voters are protected. Serving as an election judge is an opportunity to learn more about election processes and to provide a great service to the community. Below is some information that you may find helpful in deciding if you would like to serve. 

State law permits people to take time off from work without loss of pay to serve as an election judge.

Party Balance
State law required that party balance be maintained among judges in the precinct as there are specific election judge tasks that require representation from different political parties. These duties include, but are not limited to: curbside voting, emptying of the ballot box, and initialing ballots. For this reason, election judges are required to disclose their political party affiliation to the Election Administrator. This information will only be shared with the head election judge in the precinct that you will be working in. You do have the option to serve as a non-partisan judge; however, you would be unable to perform some tasks in the precinct.
 
Election Judge Duties
Election judges perform a variety of election duties that include, but are not limited to:
  • Checking in voters
  • Explaining voting procedures and how to use voting equipment
  • Distributing ballots
  • Registering new voters
  • Offering assistance as needed
  • Closing the polling place at the end of election day
  • Verifying and certifying precinct election results
Qualifications
To be an election judge you must meet all off the following qualifications:

Required Qualifications
  • Must be eligible to vote in Minnesota
  • Must be able to read, write, and speak English
  • Cannot be a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any election judge serving in the same precinct
  • Cannot be a candidate or a spouse, parent, child, or sibling of any candidate on the ballot in that precinct
Desired Qualifications
  • Ability to communicate clearly with voters
  • Comfortable assisting and serving a diverse population
  • Ability to remain impartial and not exert influence over voters
  • Physical and emotional stamina
  • Attention to detail
  • Basic math skills
  • Fluency in a second language
Election Judge Training
All election judges are required to attend two hours of training prior to working the election.