South Fairfax News

The Fairfax County Republican Party has issued an urgent appeal for Republican poll watchers to address a shortage in staffing for the upcoming November general election, the county party said on its website. The party said it needs workers for equal party participation in election-related roles as mandated by Virginia law.

Each year, Fairfax County needs to hire around 3,500 election officers for the November general election. They staff 265 election day voting precincts, 16 early voting satellites, and other vital election roles, the GOP announcement said. Virginia law mandates equal representation from both political parties in the election administration workforce.

Fairfax County officials have launched a rapid recruitment campaign to counter a shortage of Republican election officers, the announcement said. Interested individuals can apply via the Fairfax County Elections Application link, indicating their preferred party affiliation during the application process, the announcement said.

Upon successful online application, candidates will receive supplementary paperwork as election officers, who are eligible for compensation of $250 for their service on election day, while election day chiefs and assistant chiefs receive $350 and $300, respectively, the GOP announcement said.

The sole qualification required to become an election officer in Virginia is to be a registered voter in the Commonwealth. For additional information about the roles and responsibilities of election officers, please visit the Fairfax County Office of Elections website.