Serving as an election officer is a rewarding way to participate in your government and help us to ensure a fair and well-organized voting process. Prince William County needs approximately 900 dependable and committed citizens to serve as election officers in its 74 precincts for each General Election.

Qualifications

• You must be a registered voter of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• You cannot hold elected office or be the employee of an elected official.
• You must enjoy meeting people and serving the public.
• You must be able to take direction, pay attention to detail, and not be easily distracted.
• You must be available to work the entire day on Election Day.

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Election Day responsibilities

Election Officers are required to...

• Arrive at the polling place at 5 a.m. on Election Day and remain until all tallies have been completed.
• Set up voting equipment and prepare the polling place for voting.
• Process voters by checking names on list of registered voters.
• Activate voter cards.
• Admit voters to voting machines.
• Tally results.
• Secure voting machines.
• Close the polling place.

Stand-by (Alternate) Officers may be called prior to Election Day to fill in for officers who cannot serve.

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Training

Each election officer is required to attend a one-time training class. Classes, lasting about two hours, are held at different locations in the County. Additional classes are held prior to special and primary elections. Separate machine training classes are also offered for those officers wishing more hands-on training. Class schedules are mailed to each officer prior to elections.

Chief and Assistant Chief Officers are required to attend a training class prior to each election in which they serve. In addition, the Chief Officer is responsible for picking up materials prior to Election Day and returning materials to the General Registrar’s Office by noon the day following the election.

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Where will I be working?

Whenever possible, Election Officers are assigned to their "home" precinct. However, if there are no vacancies at your polling place, you may be assigned to a nearby precinct. Unassigned officers are asked to serve as "stand-bys" to fill in for scheduled officers who cannot serve or in cases of emergency.

How do I vote if I’m not working at my “home” precinct?

Election Officers are eligible to vote by Absentee Ballot for just this reason. You may request a ballot be mailed to your home or you can take advantage of In-Person Absentee Voting, and vote before Election Day. Please visit our page on Absentee Voting, or download an Absentee Ballot Application.

If you would like to apply to serve as a Prince William County election officer, please download the Election Officer Application Form, complete it, and then mail it to us at the address listed on the form.

You may also request an application by calling 703-792-6470.

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When will I be paid?

Checks are mailed out by the Department of Finance approximately four weeks after each election. Each Officer is paid for Election Day, and any training class attended. Chief Election Officers are also compensated for the time and travel required for picking up and dropping off election materials.

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Click the link to learn more about the Student Election Page Program for High School Students.