How Poll Worker Shortages Impact Elections | The Daily Show 

This is why I am a poll worker this year. Even without the potluck.

"Stop winking." That was beautiful.

I've been voting by mail for a while but whenever I vote at a polling place, I always thank the poll workers for their service.

I've to admit that in my 24 years of being part of the pole worker team, one individual, just one, thanked me for doing what we do. But the food is great and the feeling of being the backbone of democracy makes my day.

It is sad when satire delivers better news than the actual news. Thank you Daily Show for always pushing for truth.

I completely forgot about this process. Like another user said, I wish this had been shown weeks ahead. I'm a state worker, so I get election day off during gubernatorial and presidential election years. I voted early, so I could have taken the training and spend the day as a poll worker. We won't be off next year, but I'll see if I can volunteer for 2024. I can DEFINITELY see that getting nasty, though. O_o

My heart broke watching how that poll worker genuinely appreciated Desi’s “Thanks”.

I served as a poll inspector yesterday and a poll clerk last election, it is a great experience. You really get to build teamwork and leadership skills all while serving your city/state!

"Thank you for your service" applies to poll workers too.

I mean I totally get why people wouldn't want to.. they shouldn't have to worry about their safety just for trying to help with the democratic process.. Certain people in this country can't handle losing so they lie to idiots that aren't smart enough to look into anything before threatening people's lives

Its really tough to do comedy about this stuff in this climate but she pulls it off with great aplomb

I hope this wonderful video helps to inform many more people that their poll workers are Volunteers! Be kind, be safe. Well Being All!

I love how Desi can't only wink one eye 😍☺️🤣

“Stop winking” I’m dead

How funny. I talked to someone on my Nextdoor app and thanked that person for being a poll worker.

Thank you for covering this. As a chief inspector for elections, I believe it's important to give election officials the recognition, respect, and appreciation they deserve. If you are willing and able, please contact your city hall to sign up to be an election official (poll worker) for your area. It really is a rewarding experience.

Poll worker training seems like the sort of thing _everyone_ should undergo. It should be as basic and universal as training in reading, writing and basic arithmetic. If _anything_ counts as service to one's community, _this_ does.

Election day should be a national holiday for midterms and presidential.

@2:50 Desi's "double eye" wink... 🤣🤣

5:32 "Sucker for Power Vest" Brilliant line and visual pun.

Unfortunately a lot of people can't take time off their multiple jobs to even vote much less be a poll worker...

I always say thank you to the volunteers and bring them breakfast and coffee ... In Germany

I just love the fact that her obsession with the potluck 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 forget actual poll working food is where it's at 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I wish I had seen this weeks ago. Would have loved to volunteer!

"The job is so important, we can't run an election without them." She says after saying they don't get paid. Lol pretty wild to me.

Desi is a national treasure.

I trained to become one last year but they wanted me to work at a poll station far from where I lived. My bus wasn't running that early and neither was any uber or lyft.

Oregon doesn’t have this problem. I think voting by mail ballot should be in every state.

Okay, here’s a hypothetical concept: when you register to vote you get entered into a pool where you may be selected to work as a poll worker. Similar to jury duty. I’m not going to get bogged down by the details just the concept of a randomized requirement. When you register to vote you may have to work as a poll worker. Again just an idea and hypothetical.

I love when the people being interviewed are excellent at playing to the comedy. The "stop winking" part was a perfect straight response.

"we don't wink here" 😂😂😂😂😂

Desi's look at the camera when she got the the potluck confirmed is priceless :D

Thank you to all the poll workers all over the country! 🥰

Great segment. Might have been more helpful to run it well before election day. 😕

When that woman told Desi "Stop winking" all serious like - I lost it. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Desi should have her own show lol.

"Stop winking"... gulp. She be serious 🤣

Desi winking repeatedly 😂

2:40 - 2:55 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I love Desi so much!!!

why are they call workers when they mostly do it for no compensation? this is not amazon.

“Stop winking.” 😂😂😂😂😂

I've been voting for over 25 years... *ALWAYS Mailed it in.* 😜😜

“Stop winking” I don’t know why I found that so funny. 😶‍🌫️

Andy I'm so happy that you guys met! Warms my heart seeing you both so happy and appreciative of each other. Also seems like JD was fan-boying over you a little bit too! Laura, I can only imagine how proud and fulfilled you feel after all of the work you've done from the very beginning. JD and AS and soooooo many others KNOW you are the bedrock of truth, determination and incredible research journalism chops.

I'm a poll worker in San Francisco. We are compensated $240 for the day. Hours are 6am- 10pm-ish plus an online course and any additional studying you feel you need to do. I'd be really annoyed if I had to do a potluck. That is a major turnoff and reduces the professionalism of the job.

MAKE ELECTION DAY A HOLIDAY.

I tried to be a poll worker here in Austin, but a couple of weeks after filling out the registration, I got an e-mail saying that had "an overflow" of workers and that my volunteerism wasn't needed. def thought it was odd they had an overflower and not a shortage

I love Tracy Dickerson! "stop winking"

I appreciate the interview; sometimes it’s okay to not try and make it something funny - think the 😉 winking at your interviewee was weird, AND her serious, no-nonsense “stop winking” was 🎉! On second thought, maybe for the serious “we don’t say that, we don’t even joke about that here” was worth you throwing out the jokes for others to see.😊

Makes me wanna volunteer ! And potluck !🎉

I worked as a poll worker this year. Was a great experience. Honestly there were plenty of us. I'm in Los Angeles.I think it's an issue in specific areas, as there aren't many election deniers in LA county lol. Y'all should just emulate what we do here as it was really smooth. With that said... it'll be a week before we find out who won for mayor, so don't copy CA for the vote counting, just the administration hahaha

Being an election worker is a lot like being on a jury in the sense that it is a HUGE underpaid inconvenience for anyone who isn't a white-collar dude with someone at home watching his kids. It's a 15-16 hour day, plus training. You can't leave the building. And the pay is...well, I'll get $160 for the day and I'm the highest-paid person in my precinct. If you can't be on your feet all day or afford to take a day off of work or find childcare for 16 hours, how are you supposed to be able to do this job? And yes, there is absolutely a higher degree of stress since 2020. Even in my nice little town where I know most of the people who come to vote. Totally worth it though. If you can volunteer, do IT. It is super exhausting but super rewarding.

The poll workers have always been incredibly patient with myself & inability to follow simple directions! Ha

How did Desi say *"poll worker"* so many times without the obvious pun ;-)

I used to work every election but ive genuinely become too scared to. Also its a LONG work day, depending on what role you have it can be 6am to 9pm or even longer 😞

I used to be one but it is a 15 hr work day and you cannot leave the building. It's draining.

Potluck isn't free food, Desi. What dish would you bring to the table? 😏

In school elections they would admonish us: "now remember, it's not a popularity contest!" And I would answer, "then why do we choose by popular vote???" It's totally a popularity contest.

Even though poll workers volunteer. They do get paid tax free for the day. I used to volunteer when I was 17, 18 and 19. We didn't get training as far as I can remember. We just was assigned to a location near where we worked and expected to show up. Those with prior experience would show us what to do and tell us the rules. It's a slightly different expectation in each state and city.

Quote: *"The incivility of elections right now"* -- that's the understatement of the year.

All the texts and requests to volunteer and vote and not one request to volunteer as a poll worker! Ridiculous!

I voted last Saturday. Blue or green if Blue was unavailable. Poll worker that took my id and gave me a ballet to put in the machine seemed worn out. Everyone working looked 50+

We need to make voting mandatory, but guess who would never allow that law to pass.

My initial thought, activate national guard or reservists to serve in the local area so there is no shortage? Why isn’t this an option?

I’ve been a poll worker twice. I live in Baltimore and have never been told about a potluck. You just get a paycheck of course lol

Thanks Desi!

I worked several polls but with the little pay you get and time commitment it's not worth any extra vitriol

Why aren't local governments asking for poll worker volunteers? A simple social media request would get participation from will citizens.

Poll worker shortages come forth easily in states where the state government isn't interested in paying them (enough). Gives more of an excuse to close polling stations

Make voting compulsory for every American - you'd NEVER have another republican in office 🤣

Again, not a problem we have here in California. I'm a poll worker and, like all my fellow poll workers, a county employee. This is part of our job, and we get 24 hours of paid overtime to do it. Nobody complains about this job. You other states need to catch up!

It would have been difficult to believe there's a paper shortage had my electric company hadn't notified us in the billing. They are asking customers to sign up for paperless billing and are not including a payment envelope if you normally don't mail in a check.

My sister has worked at the polls for years. She's quitting. She'd rather have better pay than a sometimes free chicken sandwich at lunch.

I worked as a poll machine tech in the 2016 election. I was assisting voters the entire day in addition to setting up and taking down the machines. the only food provided was whatever the students at that school were served.

why cant poll workers be a federal job posting? why does it have to be a volunteer? a govt job might make it more attractive and u can always boost it with volunteers from local communities.

“Stop blinking.”

Hearing the way that veteran talks about performing his civic duty gives me hope for this country

How do I serve as a poll worker being a Legal Resident of the USA?

Wow in Canada poll workers are paid quite well. Didn't know it's volunteers in USA

that election official does not f*** around lol

OOH DESI😉SO HILARIOUS💘👏👏🎉THANKS FOR YOUR SERVICE👏💘🍵🍵💘👍

"Stop winking."

Just curious and I hope your willing to answer this.. But how much of what she says is off the cuff and how much is scripted? The poll worker looked so annoyed. 🤷‍♂️😅

Um, the reason there is a poll worker shortage is because election day is a super long day: In NY, up at 4:00 am, arrive at the poll at 5:00, set-up, open at 6:00 - busy day until 9:00 pm, usually 1 1/2 hours to shut down, pack-up equipment and do all of the paperwork, home at 11:00 pm. You don't do it for the pay, I do it because democracy matters.

Last time I went to a poling place was in 2016. I handed the dude my ballot and then I had to sit there for like a couple seconds, and look at him, at the ballot box, and then back at him before he put it in the box. It was weird. I used a self service box this time.

I Love Desi

I love this chick. She needs to be the one to take over the Daily Show!

Desi is so hilarious! Keep up the great work!

My mom volunteered our garage as a polling place one year and got donuts for the poll workers. She didn't even let me have one. Poll workers don't mess around with their food!

Anyone thought of this? If they r too worried about mail in voting early, why not pay the ppl running the polls and open the polls a for three days prior to Election Day. Starting Sunday they Tuesday.

I voted around 8:30 central this morning and was the only one they saw up to that point whi had a real voter registration card. Weird part is I live in a red district. That means all those bxtching Republicans were using their driver's licenses to vote. After all the complaining they did none of them get a voter ID card. You shouldn't be using paid for IDs to vote. That would count as a poll tax if everyone needed those in order to vote. Get a real voting card people!! Do not pay to vote. It goes against the 24th amendment. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax." -US Constitution 24th amendment.

Love from Norway. ❤

Stop winking 😂😂😂

Man thats crazy that such and important aspect to our democracy is basically volunteer work. they should totally get paid

Why is it impossible for her to wink one eye only!?

6:11 😬😬😬😬😬😬😬 oh no desi what did you do? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Wow people do this to poll workers? So uncivilized for voters to do this another person. Those people have serious issues.

I'm surprised Desi went to Charles County, which is a somewhat rural county in southern MD, and not one of the more heavily populated ones between Baltimore and DC.

Voted the first weekend of Early Voting. No line at all, poll workers were sitting around chatting or looking bored. 🤷‍♂️

My mom was a poll worker today.