With only a few weeks until Election Day Nov. 6, the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters’ Office is facing a critical shortage of volunteers to serve at the 849 polling places throughout the county, according to an Oct. 15 announcement.
Over 1,000 Election Officers are still needed, including more than 100 bilingual volunteers. English-only volunteers are also needed.
“This is a remarkable opportunity for Santa Clara County residents to observe, promote and facilitate one of our most important civil liberties; our democratic rights as voters,” said Registrar of Voters Shannon Bushey, adding that Election Officers are paid up to $200 for volunteering at the polls.
Bilingual Election Officers must be fluent in English and one of the following languages: Mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Hindi, Gujarati, Nepali, Punjabi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Farsi, Syriac, Russian, Portuguese, Tamil or Telugu. Farsi, Russian and Syriac speakers are especially needed.
Eligible residents who would like to participate in the democratic process are encouraged to contact the Registrar of Voters’ Office immediately. Election Officers must be citizens who are registered to vote, legal permanent residents, or high school students aged 16 years or older with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and both parental and principal permission. Experience is not necessary; all training is provided.
To volunteer to be an Election Officer, sign up online under the “Volunteer” tab at sccvote.org or call:
English: (408) 918-9140
Spanish: (408) 282-3095
Vietnamese: (408) 282-3097
Chinese: (408) 282-3086
Tagalog: (408) 282-3089
Hindi: (408) 282-3199
High School Students: (408) 282-3091