Rochester in need of election judges for presidential primary

The City of Rochester is looking for community members willing to serve as election judges for the upcoming presidential primary.

In a news release Thursday, the city said it still needs more than 200 judges to serve voters during the March 3 primary. Given that number, it has recently proposed an adjustment to the hourly pay:

The recommendation at this time is to increase the Election Day stipend amounts for team judges, the most common role in each polling place, to $200 for a full day or $100 for a half day. Judges who are able to provide language support in a targeted language will earn $240 for working a full day or $120 for a half day. For head judges, the experienced judges who work in pairs to supervise each polling location, the stipend amount is increasing to $275 for a full day and $130 for a half day. A half day shift on Election Day is 8 hours, while a full day shift is roughly 16 hours, plus additional set up time for head judges.

Election judges will be paid a stipend for working on Election Day as well as a separate stipend for completing required training before each election.

There are a total of 48 polling locations in Rochester requiring judges.

“Election judges are a critical part of the election process,” said City Clerk Anissa Hollingshead. “With three election events in 2020, this year is especially important. We encourage all community members to consider serving as an election judge. It is a rewarding opportunity to make an impact in the community in a non-partisan way, and we are glad to be able to make it a little more financially rewarding as well.”

Those interested in learning more or wanting to sign up to serve as an election judge can visit rochestermn.gov/vote.