National Poll Worker Recruitment Day set for Aug. 11, 2026

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission will recognize National Poll Worker Recruitment Day on Aug. 11, 2026, and has released a 2026 recruitment toolkit for election officials and civic organizations.

The initiative is aimed at helping election jurisdictions recruit the workers who staff precincts and vote centers, assist with early voting, serve on absentee- and early-voting boards, and support recounts and post-election audits. The EAC says the effort is intended to strengthen election administration and civic participation.

Why recruitment matters

The commission cited its 2022 Election Administration and Voting Survey, which found that 54.1% of jurisdictions reported having difficulty or great difficulty recruiting poll workers. That figure reflects the 2022 survey and is not a current national count of vacancies for the 2026 election.

Election administration is decentralized across more than 10,000 U.S. jurisdictions, with local and county election offices generally responsible for running elections and relying on poll workers. The EAC has not announced a national recruitment target for Aug. 11. The next scheduled step is the nationwide recruitment observance, with jurisdictions and civic organizations able to use the commission’s toolkit in their outreach.