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Convening celebrates civic engagement and encourages continued patriotic service
JACKSONVILLE, FL – Today, Vet the Vote, a national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to be the next generation of poll workers, held a poll worker appreciation and education event in partnership with the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The event, held on the USS Orleck Pier, thanked poll workers for their work in serving the community and for safeguarding the integrity of the voting process. Additionally, the event provided a platform to educate current servicemembers, veterans, and their families on how they can serve as poll workers for future election cycles.
“Just as servicemembers answer the call to serve their country, poll workers answer the call to serve Florida’s 13 million voters. Veterans make ideal poll workers because of their dedication to training, their ability to work as a team, and their commitment to mission success,” said Secretary of State Cord Byrd. “I commend the EAC and initiatives like Vet the Vote for recognizing the special qualities of our veterans and encouraging them to put their skills to work in service of Florida’s election integrity. Assisting voters, securing polling sites, and maintaining order are some of the many ways poll workers make a difference during election season. Florida’s Supervisors of Elections need your support, and I encourage Florida’s veterans to heed their call.”
“Poll workers and our veterans protect our democracy in different, but significant ways. This event recognizes the importance of both these roles and encourages more citizens and former service members to support our elections and sign up to be a poll worker. The EAC appreciates the hard work poll workers do to serve their community and make early voting and Election Day voting run smoothly for millions of Americans when they vote. In future elections, many of your counties or cities across America will need poll workers to serve the community and now is a good time to connect with them to express your interest to sign up and serve,” said Donald Palmer, EAC Vice Chair.
“Vet the Vote is proud to work with the Election Assistance Commission and local Florida and Georgia election leaders to celebrate poll workers and educate the veteran community on how to continue service through civic engagement in the upcoming election season. Poll workers play a vital role in ensuring smooth voting processes and today’s event was the perfect opportunity to thank these volunteers for their time and dedication to the democratic process. The United States currently faces a shortage of poll workers and veterans are exceptionally qualified to help fill the gap. We look forward to encouraging veterans across the country to serve as poll workers and continuing our partnership with the Election Assistance Commission,” said Ellen Gustafson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Vet the Vote.
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About Vet the Vote
Vet the Vote is a national campaign to recruit veterans and military family members to be the next generation of poll workers. Our community is leading the way in supporting safe and secure elections and ensuring we know the nuts and bolts about how elections are run. We also want to make sure our fellow Americans know we’re on the job, to show that it’s still possible for Americans to work together in patriotic service. For the 2024 elections, Vet the Vote has so far recruited over 163,000 veterans and military family members nationally to serve again in their local jurisdictions.
About the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC)
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate, and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. The EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov.