Indiana students are preparing for the election on Election Day through the Hoosier Hall Pass program

That of the state Hoosier Hall Pass Program allows 16- and 17-year-olds to miss school and work the polls on Election Day.

Students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and receive approval from their school and parents or guardians to be poll workers. They must also undergo training before Election Day.

Amy Scrogham is Allen County elections director. She said 50 of the county’s 670 poll workers this election will be students participating in the Hoosier Hall Pass program. Most of them will work as assistant judges.

“They spend all day helping put people on voting machines at the polling place they are assigned to,” she said.

The number of students needed to work each election varies by year and election type. For example, general municipal elections typically require about twenty students. County officials are working closely with local high schools to recruit the targeted number of student surveys.

Scrogham said student poll workers get to see a different side of the election and become more familiar with the process so they are more knowledgeable when they are old enough to vote.

“They can see a different side, which I think is very important,” she said.

The Hoosier Hall Pass Program is overseen by the Indiana Secretary of State’s office. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales said in a news release earlier this year that Indiana needs at least 20,000 poll workers to ensure smooth, reliable elections.

“Recruiting dedicated poll workers is essential to the success of our elections. “Statewide elections depend on dedicated Hoosiers ensuring every vote is counted accurately and efficiently,” he said.

St. Joseph County Clerk Amy Rolfes said poll workers in Indiana tend to be older, and Saint Joseph County is no exception. She said about 10 to 15 of the county’s poll workers are between 75 and 80 years old. The election board has tried to involve more young people in the process, but recruiting students has been difficult due to their busy schedules.

The county first began hiring students through the Hoosier Hall Pass program during the primaries earlier this year. In November, 25 high school students will be working at voting centers across the province. Rolfes said they will work with experienced poll workers to guide them.

“It’s also a great community-building thing to bridge the gap between our skilled workers,” she said. “And they recognize that these younger kids are not afraid of technology. They like to jump in.”

Students in the program do various jobs on election day. In St. Joseph County, they often serve as election sheriffs who greet voters at the door, encouraging them to have their ID ready and asking about changes to people’s names and addresses.

“We start the Hoosier Hall Pass students with a very easy job, like sheriff. That is our plan for this year,” said Rolfes.

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Students can also check in voters or activate voting machines. They get $160 a day in St. Joseph County, but the amount varies from county to county.

Rolfes said no matter what student workers do, they experience every aspect of the voting process. This ultimately helps build their confidence in the electoral process.

“My main goal is to increase public confidence in elections,” Rolfes said. “The mechanism I use for this is that I invite anyone who is skeptical about the election process to become a voting center employee. They see everything related to the elections from start to finish.”

Rolfes believes the Hoosier Hall Pass program will continue to gain popularity in St. Joseph County as students are curious about how elections work.

“I really appreciate that they want to get involved to learn about elections,” she said. “If we start at the high school level and these students learn about the process and learn how reliable the process is, especially in Indiana with our strong election laws, they can become the spokespeople for the election process.”

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.

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