What’s a Poll Greeter?

Henrico County needs Poll Greeters and it’s an easy way to give a few hours of your time and feel like you are involved in the election process.

Last year, I was a first time poll greeter! The shifts are short (only a few hours) and all you do is welcome and thank people for voting as well as hand out sample ballots.

Some people have questions about the ballots, especially down-ballot races, so you hand out a sample Democratic ballot and remind people of who is on the ticket. Most everyone knows the top of the ticket, but if you’re in western Henrico, it’s a great time to point out that May Nivar is running in HD57. They may not be familiar with her name, but you saying a candidate’s name out loud and giving them a last minute reminder could make a big difference in election results.

There are some rules to abide by:

• Prohibited Area: It is unlawful to loiter, congregate, or engage in any campaign activity within forty feet of any entrance to a polling place while the polls are open.
• Interference: Greeters and campaigners must not hinder or delay a qualified voter in entering or leaving the polling place.
• Loudspeakers: The use of loudspeakers is prohibited within 300 feet of a polling place on election day.

When you arrive, the volunteer working before you will provide the sample ballots and show you the forty-foot distance spot where you can stand.

Much of the job is monitoring what is happening outside of your polling place. You are well supported by Henrico County. When I arrived at my shift, I received a text thanking me and saying “If there are any problems, please let us know.” They check in on you to make sure everything is going fine.

There was a Republican counterpart there as well, and we chatted throughout the morning. It’s a great way to get involved without committing a lot of your time. It is an important position. You are one of the last people voters see before casting their ballot!

Grab a shift! There are tabs for early voting or magisterial district at the top.