With New Jersey and the country facing a looming shortage of poll workers on Election Day because of the pandemic, the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA) is encouraging lawyers and law students to become poll workers, part of a national, non-partisan initiative called Poll Worker Esq.

The project is a partnership between the American Bar Association (ABA), the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors, which is reaching out to state, local and affinity bars.

The organizations want to head off a predicted shortage of poll workers, who tend to be older and may not want to work the polls because they are part of a demographic that is at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

"We are in an unprecedented time given the COVID-19 crisis and the fact that we have an election coming up. I think it is our duty as lawyers, who take an oath for justice and to protect the Constitution, that we try to do what we can to protect voting rights of the citizens of New Jersey. It doesn't matter if you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent, voting rights are voting rights," said NJSBA President Kimberly A. Yonta.

Patricia Lee Refo, president of the ABA, said officials developed a plan over the summer to help address the shortage by recruiting lawyers, whom she said are especially suited to help.

"Lawyers are civic-minded. They tend to be people who care about what is going on in their communities and in their government. Most lawyers went to law school at least in part because they want to help people," said Refo, who has volunteered to be a poll worker this fall.

"We are trying to inspire them to do something to help their community and country have a free and fair election," she said.

Yonta said New Jersey Secretary of State Tahesha Way met with the NJSBA to enlist its help to keep the polls open and to help ensure a fair and secure election by encouraging lawyers to sign up to become poll workers.

"Who better to work on that than the ABA and all the individual bar associations to try to see if we could get lawyers to be poll workers because they know how important voting rights are," Yonta said.

Even with mail-in ballots in New Jersey, poll workers are needed, since some voters will deliver their ballots to polling sites or cast provisional ballots in person on Election Day.

Emily Kelchen, an NJSBA trustee and chair of the NJSBA's Young Lawyers Division, has been a poll worker several times. She said lawyers have skills that can be useful as a poll worker, such as being detail-oriented, being able to follow rules closely, interacting with the public in a polite and pleasant manner, and being able to de-escalate a situation where people are upset or confused.

"Voting is the central aspect to being a citizen of the United States. Seeing democracy in action is very rewarding, and knowing that you helped facilitate people casting their vote, making their voice heard, is a good thing," Kelchen said.

To sign up to be a poll worker, fill out an application at nj.gov/state/elections/pollworker or contact your county board of elections.