A Voter’s Guide to Elections from the League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area

Be an Election Inspector: Your Community Needs You

The Otsego County Board of Elections works diligently throughout the year to assure elections in our county will be run securely, smoothly and fairly. But at election time, the BoE needs help to make sure we can exercise our right to vote. To do so, they hire and train local residents to serve as election inspectors. (You may be more familiar with the term poll workers.) Election inspectors are your neighbors, your work colleagues, your children’s teachers and coaches—people you see throughout your community. Election inspectors arrive early to set up the chairs and get out the materials, they check your registration and signature, they hand you a ballot, direct you to a privacy booth, and provide any assistance you need. And when the polls close, they put everything away. They are an important part of the security and safety of our elections.

As you might imagine, the BoE needs many election inspectors to make the process work.  Their presence at the polls means that when voters arrive, the check-in process is quick and efficient (no long lines!), that voters have all their questions answered, that all procedures are followed, and that all votes are accounted for.

Each year, the BoE puts out the call for election inspectors and they are always looking for more people to take on this role. Any voter registered in Otsego County can apply to serve as an election inspector. Election inspectors are trained for these paid positions. Applicants must attend one three-hour training session. Training is currently available May 13 at 1 p.m., May 15 at 1 p.m., May 15 at 5 p.m. and May 16 at 9 a.m.

You must be available to serve at least one full day in either the June primary or November general elections, for early voting or on election days. The simple application form is available through the Board of Elections website (www.voteotsego.com), or you can contact the Otsego County Board of Elections at boe@otsegocounty.com or (607) 547-4247. There’s also a short video on the County BoE website that explains what poll workers do.

Our elections are overseen by the professional, bi-partisan staff at the Board of Elections. The BoE is responsible for the secure counting of votes and the reporting of results. The staff are dedicated professionals who take their responsibilities very seriously, checking each other’s work to ensure accuracy and fairness. But they can’t staff every polling place on busy election days, and that’s where you can step in and play an important role for the community.

The League of Women Voters is committed to ensuring the health of our Democracy and we regularly remind citizens that “Democracy is not a spectator sport.” Democracy succeeds only with the support of citizens. We hope you’ll consider becoming an election inspector—your community needs you.

Maureen Murray and Kristin Pullyblank are co-presidents of the League of Women Voters Cooperstown Area and Hudi Podolsky is the LWVCA voter services chair.