What Does an Inspector of Elections Do?

If you're going to conduct elections for your organization anytime soon, here are some useful tips about how to hire an inspector of elections. This article will help you answer questions such as: Is it necessary to hire an inspector of elections? How much do they charge? What are they responsible for?

Key Duties of an Inspector of Elections

Generally speaking, an inspector of elections is responsible for conducting fair and transparent elections. Their job is to ensure that the entire process is free of bias or mistakes.

Their responsibilities span the three different stages of elections described below.

Pre-Election Activities

Before an election is held, the inspector needs to:

• Assess the eligibility of each candidate
• Organize election materials like pens, papers, ballots, voting machines, or online voting platforms
• Prepare polling stations
• Hire and train polling station staff, including presiding officers, poll clerks, ballot clerks, counting assistants, and security officers

During the Election

While the election is underway, the inspector will:

• Allocate positions to polling station staff members
• Check voter identities
• Ensure the confidentiality of each vote
• Resolve any dispute that arises
• Monitor the entire elections to ensure that all rules are being followed

Post-Election Follow-Up

When all is said and done, the inspector will:

• Count votes and report results to relevant authorities
• Clean up the polling stations
• Secure election materials
• Debrief the election team
• Archive election records for legal purposes

What Are the Qualifications of an Inspector of Elections?

Considering the scope of responsibilities mentioned above, an inspector of elections can be anyone who has a good understanding of election laws and procedures and possesses good organizational and communication skills.

Apart from that, the inspector of elections must be of good character with no proven criminal record. It’s also important to ensure that the inspector is not related to a board member or an election candidate in any way.

When it comes to who can be an inspector of elections, there are no hard and fast rules. It could be someone from within your organization or someone external. If the inspector is from within your organization, ensure that they are a verified and trusted member. 

On the other hand, if you're hiring an external inspector of elections, you should assess their experience and professional training in the subject. Check the credibility of the training and workshops they've attended and how well-versed they are in the subject that is under vote. 

For example, if you’re hiring an HOA inspector of elections in California, you’ll want to have someone with previous experience in conducting HOA elections in the area.

How to Determine if I Need to Hire an Inspector of Elections?

Whether you need to hire an inspector of elections or not depends on the size and complexity of your elections. If you're conducting relatively simple elections for a small organization (less than fifty people), you might not need to hire an inspectorof elections. You can handle the process by yourself or with the help of a few volunteers; however, if the number of voters exceeds fifty and the election process is complex (i.e., involves several steps), you will probably need to hire a professional election inspector. 

If you have a tight budget and have to conduct large-scale, complex elections for a member-based organization, consider online voting systems. They eliminate the risk of human error and bias and ensure that each vote is secure and counted. Plus, some online voting platform subscriptions come with verified third-party inspectors, so you don’t have to go through the hassle of hiring your own. 

Tallying Up

By now, we hope you have a clear understanding of what an inspector of elections does. Remember, it's always best to check the inspector's experience conducting the type of elections you have, accreditation, and adaptation skills before hiring them for the job.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions:

How Many Poll Workers Are There in the U.S.?

The number of poll workers varies widely across the U.S. depending on the location and size of the election. The number of poll workers who served during the 2020 General Election was about 900,000 people.

What Should I Look for in an Inspector of Elections’ Contract?

You should ensure that the contract clearly outlines the inspector's responsibilities, fees, and timeline for the election process. It should also include any necessary confidentiality or nondisclosure agreements, as well as procedures for handling disputes or challenges to the election results.