OMAHA, Neb. — In the United States, citizens are traditionally urged to participate in elections by casting their votes on Election Day. However, in Nebraska, there’s an added layer of responsibility: some residents are mandated to assist in the electoral process.
Nebraska stands out as the only state in the nation implementing compulsory election duty to enlist individuals for various roles, such as poll workers, election assistants, and ballot carriers, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislators. Failure to respond to a summons can result in a criminal misdemeanor charge, potentially incurring a fine of as much as $100.
Dawn O’Brien, who was balancing teaching and parenting activities two decades ago, was taken aback when she received a notification indicating her selection for election duty. Having lived in Omaha for roughly 25 years, this concept was new to her.
“I was caught off guard,” she shared. “I do remember thinking, ‘How am I going to manage this?’”
Despite her initial reservations, O’Brien, like many others called upon for the role, developed a newfound respect for civic engagement and now volunteers for most elections.
“I learned an incredible amount about the complexities involved in running fair and democratic elections,” she noted. “It requires a tremendous amount of resources to execute this properly.”
Currently, only Douglas and Sarpy counties are employing this mandatory system in the Omaha metropolitan area. These populous counties, housing nearly half a million of Nebraska’s 1.25 million registered voters, require a significant workforce to staff hundreds of polling locations.
According to Brian Kruse, the Douglas County Election Commission director, recruiting sufficient help can be challenging, particularly given the threats and safety issues affecting election workers today. For the upcoming elections, Douglas County aims to enlist around 3,000 election workers, with approximately 45% being drafted.
While other states may rely on officials to gather volunteers, Nebraska’s method closely resembles jury duty, as registered voters are randomly selected to participate on Election Day. Certain exemptions exist for individuals over the age of 70, those with verified medical conditions, and others with justifiable reasons. Parents with young children can postpone their service until their children grow older.
The only definitive way to avoid election service is to remove oneself from the voter registration rolls, noted Kruse, which most people prefer not to do.
Unlike jury duty, individuals drafted for Nebraska’s election service aren’t just responsible for a single election; they must fulfill obligations for four elections in total. Alongside volunteers, those selected through the draft receive a minimum payment of $12 per hour. Employers are legally required to grant paid time off for this duty, although they are allowed to subtract the pay earned during the election from the employee’s paid time off.
Power the Polls, a national campaign established in 2020 aimed at enlisting election workers, is monitoring Nebraska’s unique strategy that has been in place since at least the 1950s.
Marta Hanson, the national program manager for Power the Polls, highlighted that mandatory recruitment could serve as an effective means to foster diversity among poll workers and attract younger individuals, particularly in a demographic that is frequently overrepresented by those aged 60 and above.
“One of the common requests from election officials nationwide is for poll workers who are tech-savvy and comfortable with using devices like iPads or tablets, especially as voting technology continues to advance,” Hanson remarked.
Reflecting on her experience, O’Brien acknowledged that had she not been drafted, the thought of volunteering for election duties would have never crossed her mind.
“It wouldn’t have even occurred to me,” she mentioned. “It fills me with pride to know I’m contributing to the promotion of democracy. Many individuals in other regions of the world would be thrilled to have the voting rights we often take for granted.”