You could make a quick buck by volunteering on Election Day in Centre County. See how
Election Day is less than a week away, but it’s not too late to help the democratic process run smoothly in your neighborhood.
The Centre County Board of Elections is looking for volunteers to help facilitate its vote-by-mail operations for Pennsylvania’s May 16 municipal primary election. Though some slots on the county’s online sign-up page are already filled, a number of volunteer positions remain open as of Wednesday morning.
If you’re thinking about volunteering, here’s what you need to know.
Volunteering for May 16’s primary election
If you’re considering signing up for a volunteer shift, visit the Centre County Board of Elections’ SignUpGenius form, available at signupgenius.com/go/10c0944ada729aaf8c43-vbm2023#/. There, you can browse available shifts and see which are already filled.
Shifts are open for several jobs, including some that would task volunteers with unboxing materials, scanning ballots and operating machines. Available volunteer shifts, which are scattered between the evenings of May 15 and May 16, are located on site at the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte and the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
Though requirements are slim, eligible volunteers must be Centre County residents and at least 17 years old. A few shift types list additional requirements, such as a balance between political affiliation or necessary prior experience.
Volunteers are encouraged to sign up for a shift, but county officials said there is a chance some shifts may not pan out.
“The afternoon shift may not be needed as the number of ballots returned is currently lower than it has been in the past few elections,” Beth Lechman, Centre County’s director of elections and voter registration, wrote in an email. “We ask volunteers that have signed up for this shift to check the county webpage or call the election office before coming in if you will be inconvenienced.”
The Centre County Board of Elections will pay its volunteers $15 per hour, Lechman said. Volunteers may also receive free meals, drinks and snacks, though availability is subject to each shift’s timing.
Prospective volunteers are asked to sign up for shifts by Friday. The Centre County BOE will host a training for new volunteers at 5 p.m. Saturday in Room 207 at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
Those with questions regarding volunteering should email elections@centrecountypa.gov or call 814-355-1373.
About May 16’s primary election
May’s primary will narrow the candidates for statewide and local races before November’s municipal election.
Election Day is Tuesday. Polls in Pennsylvania are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can visit pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/pollingplaceinfo.aspx to find your polling place.
Mail-in ballots must be received by the Centre County Elections Office by 8 p.m. Tuesday. You can mail your ballot to the office, drop it off at the Willowbank Building in Bellefonte or deposit it inside one of the following drop boxes across Centre County:
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