The Dallas County Commissioner of Elections still stands in need of numerous individuals to work the polls on the Nov. 3 General Election and has issued a call for precinct election officials (PEO).
“Elections are at the core of our system of government,” according to the Dallas County website, where interested volunteers can learn more about the roles a poll worker plays.
The position pays an hourly wage of $12 and will run from Aug. 28 to Nov. 3. A full description of the PEO job and its duties, including directions for applying, is available on the Dallas County website.
The major responsibility of a PEO is to provide each person who is eligible to vote with the opportunity to do so and to assure the privacy and secrecy of each vote. Yet the duties of PEOs have become more involved and require persons to handle more complex duties, according to state law.
PEO job duties include:
Set up the polling place before the polls open
Take the official oath, binding them to be impartial and ensure the integrity of the election
Maintain order at the polls
Instruct voters how to properly use the voting equipment
Determine the eligibility of the voters
Guard the ballots, never leaving them unprotected
Ability to work long hours, sometimes 16 hours a day.
Ability to work 20 hours per week.
Close the polling place, complete election day paperwork and clean up the polling area
Transport results to the County Auditor
Other duties as assigned by the County Auditor
In order to qualify as a PEO, you:
Must be registered to vote in Dallas County
Cannot be an opposed candidate or be closely related to any opposed candidate on the ballot
Must have good reading and listening skills
Must have good computer skills/ability to work unaided with a tablet.
Must be a team player and enjoy people and service to others
Must be willing to attend a required 1-2 hour training class
The physical requirements within the PEO work environment are the normal requirements found in many office environments, including sitting, standing, walking, bending, pushing, pulling and or lifting. You might occasionally be required to exert a force of up to 50 lbs.
The PEO position also requires particular knowledge, abilities and skills:
Knowledge
Clerical — Administrative and clerical procedures and systems, such as word processing, managing files and records and other office procedures
Customer and Personal Service — Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Abilities
Oral Comprehension — Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Oral Expression — Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Clarity — Speak clearly so others can understand you.
Written Comprehension — Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Skills
Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
This job description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work performed by PEOs and is not designed as an exhaustive list of all the responsibilities, duties and skills required. To learn more, visit the Dallas County website.
