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Poll Worker & Election Challengers

Poll workers and election challengers need to follow the law. There is no place for partisan politics or voter intimidation in a polling location or absent voter counting board.

About Poll Workers (formally known as election inspectors):

  • Poll workers are trained by and answer to election officials and paid to help administer elections.
  • Poll workers take an oath to support the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions and faithfully discharge their duties.
  • Poll workers must express a preference for a political party. And some poll worker duties require two poll workers who have expressed preferences for different political parties.
  • Poll workers have the authority to maintain peace, regularity and order in the polling place and to require compliance with lawful instructions.
  • Poll workers’ jobs include (but aren’t limited to): 
    • Opening and closing the polls
    • Greeting voters
    • Processing voters
    • Issuing ballots to voters
    • Assisting voters, including voters with disabilities
    • Addressing tabulator issues
    • Processing and tabulating absentee ballots

What Poll Workers CanNOT Do:

  • Let partisan politics or their political affiliation interfere with them doing their job
  • Harass or intimidate voters or allow others to do so
  • Solicit voters or engage in any type of campaigning

About Election Challengers (also called poll challengers):

  • Election challengers are trained and credentialed volunteers who monitor the election process and ensure that Michigan’s election law is properly followed.
  • Election challengers can be credentialed by a political party or an organization
  • Election challengers are assigned to polling locations and absent voter counting boards throughout the state.
  • Election challengers may raise an official objection, called a “challenge” if the challenger has good reason to believe a voter is not eligible to vote in the precinct or if the challenger  has reason to believe  that a poll worker is not  following Michigan election law. That challenge is then addressed by an election official.

What Election Challengers CanNOT Do:

  • Let partisan politics or their political affiliation interfere with them doing their job
  • Harass or intimidate voters
  • Speak to voters
  • Touch any voting equipment or materials
  • Speak to poll workers other than the challenger liaison (this may change based on pending litigation)
  • Interfere with a poll worker/election inspectors ability to do their job
  • Make challenges without good reason, or for the purpose delay or annoyance.  
  • Election challengers cannot take photos, videos, or audio recordings inside a polling location, but they can possess an electronic device to take notes, read, etc, so long as it is not disruptive.
  •  The possession and use of electronic devices in an absent voter counting board is the subject on-ongoing litigation.
  • Challengers at an absent voter counting board cannot communicate with people outside while polling locations are still open.

Helpful Links and Resources

Paid for by Progress Michigan, 614 Seymour Ave., Lansing, MI 48933