Election Judges

THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN SERVING AS AN ELECTION JUDGE FOR THE CITY OF BUFFALO. WE ARE FULLY STAFFED FOR THE 2022 ELECTION CYCLE.


Responsibilities of Election Judges

Election judges are essential to our democracy, as they are responsible for the administration of election procedures in the polling place. Election judges help to guarantee the rights of voters are protected  and ensure the election process is fair, accurate and in accordance with election laws. Serving on a team of election judges is a wonderful, rewarding experience.

Eligibility Requirements

  • You must be at least 18 year of age, a resident of Minnesota for at least 20 days, and a citizen of the United States. You should be prepared to provide identification to prove your identity.
  • You cannot be the husband, wife, parent, child, brother, or sister of a candidate or be related to another election judge in the same precinct.
  • You cannot be a candidate for the election in which you are serving as a judge.
  • You cannot be a judge unless you can read, write, and speak the English language understandably.
  • Resident of the City of Buffalo.

*The election statutes require that there be a balance of parties for some tasks within precincts, prospective judges must prepare to state what party they belong to when necessary.

Qualifications

  • Ability to communicate clearly with voters
  • Ability to remain impartial
  • Physical and mental ability to perform assigned tasks
  • Attention to detail and general math skills
  • Ability to understand and follow election laws and procedures
  • Comfortable with assisting and serving a diverse population

Election Judge Duties

  • Open and close the polls (6 am to 9 pm or later)
  • Take responsibility for all election materials
  • Ensure qualified voters are permitted to vote only once
  • Distribute ballots
  • Help voters requiring assistance
  • Maintain order in the voting place throughout the day
  • Register new voters at the polling site
  • Obtain the results after the polls are closed
  • Certify the precinct election results
  • Return supplies to Wright County Election Department

Training Sessions

All judges, even those who have served in prior elections, are required to complete training. Several training sessions will be scheduled by the Wright County Elections Office in the summer of election years.