Did you know that we hire more than 4,000 poll workers for every election?
Perhaps you have come to recognize some of the friendly faces at your polling location. People who come back election after election because of the relationships they’ve made and the pride they have for serving their communities.
While we at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections are fortunate to have a core workforce of returning poll workers, we still have a large quota to meet for each election and are always in need of new faces to help staff polling locations.
Being a poll worker can be a rewarding experience. We have asked some of our most loyal workers to share what helping out with elections means to them. We will be featuring stories from several poll workers over the coming weeks.
Continue reading for our first poll worker spotlight.
Poll Worker Spotlight: John Derwis
How long have you been serving as a poll worker?
Six years.
What brings you back each year?
A sense of giving back to the community.
What are some of your most memorable moments as an Election Official?
I enjoy seeing people who vote because they are concerned about their community and country.
What is your favorite part about being an Election Official?
The camaraderie among the workers whether Democrat, Republican or Independent.
Describe the energy at polling locations on Election Day.
Everyone seems to be working with peak awareness that they are serving our country in a very important way.
Why is being an Election Official important to you?
Rather than just taking up space in this country, I am serving—as I did in the Army through the Vietnam War—with a very important purpose of maintaining a free country.
Did you feel a sense of accomplishment at the end of the day? Can you describe this?
I felt that I did my small part in protecting our rights as citizens of the United States of America. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but had a feeling of accomplishment and gratification.
What is it like to know you made a difference in our electoral process?
It is very gratifying to know I made a difference in the electoral process.
Why, in your opinion, should others become Election Officials?
If you have some sense of duty and understanding of how our country operates, I would recommend you working the polls.
Please share any thoughts you have about being an Election Official.
Many thanks to our forefathers who established our system of government.
We thank John for his service as a poll worker and for participating in our spotlight series. If you or someone you know may be interested in becoming a poll worker, learn more by clicking here.
To view all of the stories in our poll worker spotlight series, click here.