Election judges are essential to our democracy! The YMCA Center for Youth Voice works with Minnesota cities and counties to help recruit and coordinate student election judges (referred to as “election judge trainees” in new legislation) statewide.
In Minnesota, high school students can get paid to work as an election judge trainee if they meet the following requirements:
- Are age 16-17 on or before Election Day.
- Are a U.S. citizen in good academic standing.
- Have received school and parental permission.
As election judge trainees, students learn to navigate the internal workings of our election and government systems. Students also gain skills they can apply elsewhere and earn money. Finally, while serving their own communities as election judge trainees, students can see the impact they have and the importance and power of each individual vote.
Highlights
- Earn $10-$17 per hour
- Learn first-hand how elections are run
- Help make your local polling place more welcoming for young voters
- Impress your parents and teachers
Who
Minnesota students ages 16-17+
Location
Your community
Cost
Free (the students get paid by their local elections office!)
Getting Started
IF YOU ARE A STUDENT who is at least 16 and interested in working as an election judge trainee, you can:
IF YOU ARE AN ELECTIONS OFFICIAL interested in creating, expanding or enhancing your election judge trainee pool or program, check out our Student Election Judge Toolkit. If you would like assistance making a connection to you local high school(s), contact Michael Wall, Outreach Manager for the YMCA Center for Youth Voice at michael.wall@ymcamn.org or 612-263-9893.