Qualifying students from Aliso Niguel High School volunteered their time, lending a helping hand to their community on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.
In the state of California, high school students have the opportunity to work at the polls on Election Day as long as they meet the requirements. Numerous students from high schools across the state, including Aliso Niguel High School, took advantage of this special event.
Luke Zidbeck (12) and Logan Nguyen (12) both volunteered together at the Sea Country Senior and Community Center in Laguna Niguel. This year’s election was Nguyen’s first experience at a poll, but Zidbeck’s second.
Instead of going to school for the day, they reported first thing in the morning to their post at the senior center.
The two boys would begin working at around 6:30 a.m. until roughly 8:00 p.m., from opening to closing. Their main goal was to ensure voters were registered, ballots were properly filled out and that voters fully understood their rights and responsibilities when they voted.
When asked if he felt like he really helped his community, Nguyen said, “Yeah I definitely did!”
Zidbeck noted that there was a high percentage of voters who were not registered, but due to new technology and voting laws, poll workers have the ability to register voters at the location, allowing them to vote that day. In doing so, even more people were able to vote in this election; as well as go onto vote in future elections as once someone is registered, they are registered for life.
Zidbeck said, “I hope people fulfill their civic duties by voting.”
While the volunteers had a responsibility to the voters, they also had other jobs. The boys and their fellow poll workers had the job of opening and closing the polling station, as well as protecting the polling equipment, to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
Both boys worked for roughly twelve hours and reported that most voters were respectful and understood how to properly complete the process. After their long day, both boys agreed they would do it again, even though the event was a bit boring at times.
In order to be a poll worker as a high school student, those interested must meet certain standards. Interested students must be at least 16 years old, have a 2.5 grade point average or higher, obtain permission from their parents and the school and either be a US citizen or legally be a permanent resident of the United States of America.
If students meet these requirements, they must also attend a training session beforehand with other poll workers. At the training sessions, they will learn how to operate polling equipment and deal with both registered and unregistered voters.
This opportunity also comes with a financial incentive as students can receive a stipend ranging from $60-$150 for their day of work away from school.
Students from Aliso Niguel High School aided their community by donating their time on Election Day, skipping school and receiving a cash reward for their time.
