The Poll Worker Project is a co-curricular leadership development program made possible by a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission’s Help America Vote College Program.
Our Goals
Recruit: To encourage college students to assist in election administration as poll workers
Train: To educate college students to become cognizant of the election process and civic education
Collaborate: To strengthen the partnerships and civic support network between colleges, state and
local governments, and civic-focused non-profit organizations
Our 2024-2025 project is complete. Please check back for 2025-2026 academic year opportunities
to get involved.
College Poll Worker Recruitment Summit
On April 11, 2025, College of DuPage’s Poll Worker Project initiative welcomed professionals and students from area colleges and universities to the College Poll Worker Recruitment Summit. The goal of the summit was to share trends, best practices, and recruitment strategies to improve overall poll worker participation rates by college students in the surrounding counties.
The COD Poll Worker Project and College Poll Worker Recruitment Summit is funded by the United States Election Assistance Commission’s Help America Vote College Program and the College of DuPage Office of Student Life.
Keynote Speaker
Keara Mendez, Advocacy Director at the Center for Tech and Civic Life
Keara Mendez has a decade of experience in state, local, and federal advocacy related to election administration and appropriations. She currently serves as the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) and the Executive Director of the Project for Election Infrastructure (PEI) supporting local elections officials in securing the resources and support needed to safely and securely administer elections. Her team has successfully advocated for more than $500 million in state and federal funds for election administration since 2022. She has supported the launch of several successful projects including Democracy is Good for Business, the Civic Responsibility Project, and Election Hero Day, and served on multiple nonprofit boards in Colorado. She lives in Denver with her husband and Samoyed, Enzo.
Featured Speaker
Commissioner Ben Hovland, U.S. Election Assistance Commission
Ben Hovland was confirmed by unanimous consent of the United States Senate on January 2, 2019 as a member of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and served as Chairman in 2020 and 2024. His leadership during an unprecedented time for election administration has helped transform the EAC to better support election officials and voters across the United States. In 2020, the EAC administered nearly $825 million in federal grant money and strategically pivoted resources to help election officials respond to the pandemic and enhance election security. Previously, he served as Acting Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and Deputy General Counsel for the Missouri Secretary of State’s office.
Panel Discussion: Why College Students Make Great Poll Workers
A panel featuring election officials, student leaders, and community organizers discuss the impact of students serving as poll workers.
Moderator: Keara Mendez