Poll workers are essential to free and fair elections: they help run polling stations and register voters' ballots.

The 2020 election saw a shortage of poll workers in Wisconsin. Mobilize the National Guard Help as a poll worker. Due to a shortage of poll workers, Long lines For those who came to vote in person on Election Day. (Related: Josh Findlay: Democrats disenfranchised voters by switching candidates)

Today is a nonpartisan civic holiday. National polling station staff recruitment dayIt aims to address the need to register and monitor poll workers ahead of the November general election.

I’ve worked in election law for 20 years, and the question I’m asked most often is, “What can I do?”

It's simple: register to be a poll worker or poll watcher, both of which are important roles that help Americans vote and ensure transparency in our election process.

Nearly every county in the country needs help on Election Day, and the polls are run by Americans just like you.

Poll workers will help voters check in, explain voting procedures and make sure voters understand how to use the voting equipment.

If you live in a state that requires voter ID, poll workers will check the driver's license or other identification you provide to prove you are who you say you are and that you're registered to vote.

Poll workers will show you how to vote and show you how to use the voting machines — these are important instructions you must follow so your vote can be counted.

Another important role in ensuring the integrity of elections are played by poll watchers. Poll watchers observe and monitor the election to make sure the rules are being followed. In some states, poll watchers may also challenge voter eligibility or the validity of ballots.

I can personally attest to how important poll workers are in preventing fraud and other irregularities. While at the Department of Justice, I served as an election observer and witnessed election workers counting ballots and tallying votes that were the opposite of what voters had marked.

Unfortunately, some state laws make it very difficult to find poll watchers.

In Pennsylvania, poll watchers Must reside Counties with polling places are required to distribute ballots, which is an obstacle to fair elections in a one-party area like Philadelphia, where party registration is overwhelmingly Democrat, making it very hard to find Republicans brave enough to spend a day at the polls.

Additionally, poll watchers can act as witnesses: they are the eyes of the voting process and can report irregularities to litigants, such as a court. Public Interest Law Foundation Someone who can bring lawsuits to enforce the law.

If you value trust in our elections, sign up to be a poll worker or observer today.

We are lucky in the United States because our elections are run by the people. In many countries, such as Russia and Belarus, elections are sham elections run by political elites, and opposition supporters can be jailed or even executed.

In the United States, the administration does not run a decentralized electoral process. Improvements in many areasWe remain the best-functioning republic in the world.

Now is the time to get involved and restore trust in the process.

J. Christian Adams is president of the Public Interest Law Foundation and a former Department of Justice lawyer who currently serves on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.

The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.

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