Who it’s for and what people take away
Adults who would like to give some time to their community and want to know what public roles exist and what they involve.
By the end, people can:
- describe the main ways residents serve locally: advisory boards and commissions, election work, school and court roles, and volunteering with public services
- find where vacancies and sign-ups are posted for their area
- list the questions to ask before applying, such as eligibility, time, training and pay or expenses
- match a role to the time and skills they have
Before the session
- Book a room with a screen and an internet connection, and test the slides before people arrive.
- Print one worksheet per person and one copy of the role cards from the activity steps, cut up, for each group.
- Print the handout with the country block for where you are teaching (United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia).
- Before the session, find where your own local government posts board and commission vacancies, and your official election office’s page on election work.
- Bring pens and sticky notes.
- Read the careful notes so you are ready to keep discussion nonpartisan and general.
You will need
- Projector or large screen
- Printed worksheets, one per person
- Printed handouts with the right country block, one per person
- Role cards cut from one printed sheet per group
- Pens and sticky notes
Run sheet
60 minutes. Slide numbers refer to the deck.
Session timings| Starts | Length | What happens |
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| 0:00 | 5 min | Welcome and ground rulesSlides 1–2Welcome people and set the ground rules: the session is nonpartisan, and nobody has to share personal details or say which roles they might apply for.Say: “Local services depend on residents who give some of their time. Today is about what that can look like.” |
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| 0:05 | 8 min | Why residents serveSlides 3–4Explain the main kinds of service: advisory boards and commissions, election work, school and court roles, and volunteering with public services. Ask the room where they have seen residents serving. |
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| 0:13 | 10 min | Boards, commissions and election workSlides 5–7Explain what advisory boards do and how vacancies are posted. Explain that elections rely on paid, trained workers recruited by the official election office, and that election workers must stay impartial. |
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| 0:23 | 20 min | Activity: find the right fitSlides 8–9Groups sort the role cards by time, training and skills, then each person fills in the fit check on the worksheet privately. Leave five minutes for the debrief.Say: “There is no right answer. The best role is one you can actually keep up.” |
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| 0:43 | 7 min | Before you applySlides 10–11Go through the questions to ask before applying, and how to find vacancies. Point to the country block on the handout. |
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| 0:50 | 5 min | Find it where you liveSlides 12Show your local government’s vacancies page and the official election office page on screen. |
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| 0:55 | 5 min | Questions, next steps and feedbackSlides 13Take questions, ask people to tick one next step on the worksheet, collect feedback, and thank the host. |
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Find the right fit
20 minutes, using the worksheet.
- Put people in groups of three or four and give each group a set of role cards.
- The role cards are: advisory board member (for example parks, library or accessibility); election worker at a polling place; school governing board member; volunteer at a public library or park; member of a neighborhood or community council; volunteer with a public service such as a food safety or emergency preparedness program.
- On the back of each card, groups write their best guess for three things: how much time it might take, what training is likely, and what skills help. Allow eight minutes.
- Go round the groups and compare guesses. Stress that the real answers depend on the place, and that the official body posting the role will say.
- Each person then fills in the fit check on the worksheet privately: their available time, what they enjoy, and which two roles fit best.
- Debrief together for the last five minutes.
Questions for the room afterwards
- Which role surprised you most?
- Which roles fit someone who has a few hours a year, and which need a regular commitment?
- Why do election workers need to stay impartial while they work?
- What would you want to ask before applying for an advisory board?
- Where would you look first to find vacancies where you live?
Take care
General information, never advice about one person’s situation, and nothing to sell.
- Stay nonpartisan: don’t discuss parties, candidates, campaigns or ballot questions, and don’t treat election work as campaigning. Election workers serve every voter equally.
- Don’t promise anyone a role, pay or a particular outcome; eligibility and selection are decided by the body that posts the role.
- Never ask people to share their immigration status, criminal record, age or other personal details. Point them to the eligibility rules of the role instead.
- Answer voting questions by pointing to the official election office, not from memory.
- Don’t recruit for any organization in the session; point only to official sources and the bodies that post the roles.
Questions people ask
Do I need special qualifications to join an advisory board?
Often not. Many boards look for residents with lived experience or an interest in the subject. The vacancy notice from your local government says what is needed.
Is election work paid?
In many places election workers are paid and trained, but this depends on the place and the role. Your official election office says what is involved. The country handout has details where they are published.
Can I do election work if I have political views?
Everyone has views. Election workers must act impartially while they work, and some election offices set rules about political activity. Check the rules with your election office before you apply.
How much time does serving take?
It ranges from a single day, such as working at an election, to regular monthly meetings for a board. Ask before you apply so you know what you are agreeing to.
Will my employer give me time off?
It depends on the country and the role. Some countries give employees a right to time off for certain public duties; the country handout says where that is published.
Where you are teaching
The rules differ by country. Teach the shared material from the slides, then use the block for the country you are in, and hand out that country’s sheet.
United States
- Poll workers. Duties and pay vary by location. Poll workers commonly set up the polling location, welcome voters, verify voter registrations, issue ballots, and explain how to use voting equipment.
- Find out what is needed. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has a lookup tool with each area’s poll worker requirements, hours, pay and training, and links to sign up with your state or local election office. Rules differ by state, for example on age, residency, voter registration and party affiliation.
- Your election office. USAGov lists state and local election offices, which help with registering, voting and election results.
- Volunteering. AmeriCorps works with State Service Commissions, appointed by governors in each state, which promote volunteering in their states.
United Kingdom
- Public appointments. You can search and apply for positions at public bodies, such as boards of national museums, regulators and advisory committees. Anyone can apply. Some positions are unpaid, but most cover expenses.
- Magistrates. Magistrates are volunteers who hear cases in courts in their community, in the criminal court, the family court, or both.
- School governors in England. Anyone can be a school governor or academy trustee; you don’t need to be a parent or have specific skills, and training can be provided. It is unpaid, but expenses such as travel or childcare can be covered. You can contact a school, a trust or your local council.
- Time off for public duties. Employees can get a reasonable amount of time off if they are, for example, a magistrate, a local councillor or a school governor. Employers can choose whether to pay for it. All employees must be allowed time off for jury service.
Canada
- Poll workers. Elections Canada hires poll workers for federal elections, in roles from the deputy returning officer, who handles the ballots, to the information officer, who directs electors to the right table.
- Who can apply. Canadian citizens who are at least 16 years old on election day are invited to apply. Poll workers need skills such as basic literacy, impartiality and attention to detail, and must be able to work long days of at least 13 hours.
- Staying nonpartisan. Poll workers must not take part in partisan political activity during the days they work, until the ballots are counted on election night.
- Other election jobs. Elections Canada also hires administrative staff for local offices and its headquarters. Its employment page lists current opportunities and how to apply.
Australia
- Working at elections. The Australian Electoral Commission offers temporary, paid work at federal elections, by-elections and referendums, in cities, regional and remote areas, with paid training.
- Who is eligible. You must be an Australian citizen and politically neutral, which means not expressing an opinion or taking action about political parties, candidates and their policies. For most jobs you must be at least 18; under-18s may be able to work before and after voting day.
- Checks and registering. Many roles require a police check before you start. You register online with the AEC, or get help from your local AEC office.