Thank you for your interest in becoming an Election Officer in Culpeper County!
Serving as an Election Officer is a rewarding way to get involved in your community.
ELECTION OFFICER ELIGIBILITY
You are eligible to serve as an Election Officer if you:
- Are a registered, qualified voter of the Commonwealth of Virginia,
- Do not hold elected office, and
- Are not the employee or deputy of an elected official.
DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Election Officers work at the polls on Election Day to ensure that elections are run in an honest, well-organized, and lawful manner. Culpeper County needs over 100 officers in its 15 precincts for each election, and there is at least one election every year.
The polls open at 6:00 a.m. and close at 7:00 p.m. Officers must arrive at their assigned polling places at 5:00 a.m. on Election Day. They remain until around 8:00 p.m., until after the polls have closed and all results have been reported. Each election day is a 15+ hour commitment. All Election Officers must remain in their assigned precinct on Election Day unless other arrangements have been made.
Election Officers are appointed for a term not to exceed 3 years. Terms begin March 1.
Duties may include:
- Setting up voting equipment to prepare the polling place for voting
- Greeting and welcoming voters
- Directing voters to check in and have their IDs ready
- Checking in voters using the electronic pollbooks and confirming their registration information
- Monitoring voters while maintaining voter privacy
- Assisting voters upon request
- Controlling and accounting for all ballots
- Disassembling the polling place after the polls close
Whenever possible, Election Officers are assigned to work at their own precinct. However, if no vacancies are available, you may be asked to work at another polling place.
Some elections are smaller than others, which may reduce the number of officers assigned to work. Moreover, if local Election Officer interest is abundant, not all officers may work. In either of these instances, you may be asked to serve as an alternate officer with the potential opportunity to serve if an opening becomes available.
Additionally, you may also decline the opportunity to serve in an election should you be unavailable.
For more information, you can review these details about serving as an Election Officer from the Virginia Department of Elections.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Does service as an Election Officer come with compensation?
Yes! Election Officers are paid a stipend for working each election. Base pay begins at $300 for a full Election Day served. Increased stipends come with future promotions, too.
Are Election Officers the same as Poll Watchers/Observers?
No. Poll Watchers/Observers have a different set of duties and are not managed by our office. For information about becoming a Poll Watcher/Observer, please contact one of your local political parties.
How can I sign up as an Election Officer?
Please complete the Election Officer interest form and we will contact you directly. After your application is received and your voter registration is verified, you will receive a follow-up email from the Culpeper County Registrar.
In addition, you may contact one of your local political parties to inquire about being nominated as an Election Officer of that party, which occurs on an annual basis.
What is “Election Worker”?
Election Worker is a platform that our office uses to manage Election Officer assignments. Existing Election Officers in Culpeper County also have access to this platform to communicate with us electronically about their availability, among other functions. If you are an existing officer, you may log into Election Worker by following the link provided.
TRAINING
All Election Officers are required to attend a training class at least once annually. Officers will be notified about training dates and times between three and six weeks prior to each election date. Training classes last approximately two hours.
This page will be updated periodically to include the latest training information and Election Day guidance documents from the Virginia Department of Elections. If you have any questions about any of these documents, please contact us.
Election Day Guide (Revised July 2025)
What Ifs Guide (Revised March 2025)
List of Acceptable IDs Voters Can Use to Check In (Revised September 2024)