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Courtesy Samir Khan

Samir Khan is an 18 year old sophomore at Cornell University. He got involved with poll work as soon as he could at 17 years old. Now, he holds the position and title of Philadelphias 8th Wards 15th Division as Judge of Elections.

In high school, Khan developed the nickname Senator Khan among his classmates for his love of talking politics. This nickname got Khan thinking could that mean something deeper than just that superficial level? Perhaps if I cultivate myself I might have the skillset to add value to America, to our country as an elected official. The summer before heading off to Cornell for his freshman year, Khan decided to do some research on how he could get politically involved in his community at such a young age and stumbled upon the position of judge of elections. The judge of elections position has been a phenomenal opportunity to really gain the experience of how to not just interact with the voters and the people but also fellow government officials and elected officials, said Khan, to really do our best to serve our community and the American population at large.

Khansjob as judge of election entails overseeing the entire election process for his district to ensure voting integrity. Since Khan was not yet 18 when he was running for the position of judge of election, his name was provisionally on the ballot, and he was later appointed with confirmation from city hall to his position. While the campaigning and initial election process was difficult for him, Khan said for other young people wanting to get involved in politics and poll work, If you have a will, there will absolutely be a way.

Khan said working the polls requires a lot of coordinated, relentless, hard work. Khan starts working Election Day around 5:45 a.m. and ends at about 10 p.m. Because of the hard work and long hours that Khan and his fellow poll workers put in, claims of fraudulent elections offend him. When I hear those sorts of claims, like the election is a fraud, I take that personally of course. This is an insult to the work of thousands of people in Philadelphia, in Pennsylvania, and the entire country.

Khan balances his life as a college student studying finance in New York and a public servant working the polls in Philadelphia through passion. He said, I dont really consider either of these things work. I think of it as my life mission to do what I do. Because I consider it something deeper than just a job or a career, it doesnt feel like something that I have to juggle, it feels like something I get to do. And when I get to do something, I want to do more of it honestly.

Until 2025, Khan will serve as judge of elections for his district. After that, there are many opportunities he might pursue. One thing that will remain important to Khan, however, is assisting and uplifting others, which he is honored to do through his role as judge of elections.

24th Ward District 5Party Affiliation:DemocratArea of Philadelphia:ChinatownRole:Multilingual interpreter

Melody Wong is a multilingual poll worker from West Philadelphia who has been working elections in Chinatown since 2009 with her mother, Jacqueline. Wong speaks both Cantonese and Mandarin. After Obama got elected, I got involved because my parents came here in the 70s and Ive been volunteering in Chinatown for a longtime, Wong said. She got interested in politics from growing up watching The West Wing, but also by being an American born citizen who grew up in Hong Kong. When I came back to the states in 2000, right after Bush vs. Gore, it really catapulted, Oh whats going on? Does our vote really matter? and what are we doing?'

Working the polls, Wong has noticed that redistricting has affected the traffic at her polling station. I have noticed a lot less people coming to our polling station because they divided up Chinatowns polling districts. Wong worries this means some community members just stay home once their polling places have been changed.

Outside of major elections, turnout is not always great according to Wong. When we get a 20% turn out rate were very happy. As a multilingual poll worker, Wong experienced microaggressions, especially as an Asian-American woman working the polls in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. As a multilingual poll worker, Wong also feels that there is cultural work to be done to promote the importance of voting in predominantly immigrant communities who had different systems or maybe didnt trust the system in their countries of origin.

While poll workers compensation has been boosted to around $250, many, like Wong, have other motivations that keep them coming back. Being a poll worker is a really good way to know your neighborhood, she said. Wong likes to stay involved and give back to her community, and she feels that working the polls is a great way to do so.

For some, working the polls is as far as they want to go politically. Wong works as a stage manager as her day job, and she has no other political aspirations other than to continue working the Chinatown polls for as long as she can. Politics are grueling and hard, [and] not a road I want to go down, said Wong. As long as Im asked to serve, I would serve. Wong sees her service as a poll worker as a way to give back to her community in a way that not many others do. If not me, who? she said. It doesnt cost me anything, and at the end to serve is fulfilling.

50th ward 4th divisionParty Affiliation:DemocratArea of Philadelphia:Mt. AiryRole:Judge of Elections

Marjorie S. Bolton is a longtime judge of elections from the Mt. Airy area of Philadelphia. She was recruited back in the 1980s by another local poll worker who noticed she voted in every election. [She] saw that I was interested and would ask different questions and she said, would you like to work on the polls? And I said sure!

Bolton was in her 30s when she started. Bolton said that one major change in the process has been the technology; shes worked with three very different types of voting machines over the years. While the changes in technology have made some things easier, it has also led to an increase of work at the polls. And then came the pandemic. COVID has changed a lot. The biggest change is that it has caused people to vote in person less, Boston said. She has noticed an increase in community members voting via mail in voting rather than coming in person to the polls on Election Day.

Bolton notes that until the city decided to raise pay for this years election, her pay had not increased much at all since the 1980s. She believes that citizens do not realize how long of a day the poll workers put in, or how much work it really takes to make sure everyone can come in and vote smoothly. It is a long day, whether they [polling places] are full of people or not, she said. Bolton and other poll workers work 14 to 17 hour days depending on their roles within the polling station, and with the new increase will get paid about $250. They [citizens] dont realize how much poll workers do to get prepared for them to vote.

Bolton said its Definitely not the money! that keeps her going back to working the polls year after year. You know what it is? she asked, Its the sense of joy that I see my community coming out to vote. Much like both Wong and Khan, Bolton gets a sense of gratification from working the polls and serving her community. I love to see that neighbor Ms. Taylor, who is 92 years old and still comes out to vote because she knows how important it is to vote, she said, I love seeing parents bringing their 18 year old children coming out to vote for the first time.

Its important to vote whether you work on the polls or not. Its important to vote, and thats maybe why I stay involved this way, because I want to see people come out and vote. After working the polls for several decades, Bolton has realized the importance of a citizens right to vote, as well as the importance of community. All politics are local! she said. Bolton wants to encourage young people, especially college students studying political science or with interest in community, government, and policy to work at the polls in order to learn more about our most basic function of democracy.

Another observation that Bolton has made about voting is that young people dont turn out in big numbers. Young people are not coming to the polls enough, she said, Everything is for you [young people] but not enough are coming to the polls, so whatever we can do to get them [young people] involved and to the polls. In past years when pay was lower, Bolton said she lost money by working the polls while she was in the midst of her teaching career since she had to take personal days. However, she would not have changed a thing. I did it because it was that rewarding to me. I dont regret it and I didnt miss the money either. Bolton said she doesnt expect to retire from election work anytime soon.

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