A collective action problem results when individually rational actions produce outcomes that, at the group level, appear to not be rational. Individuals acting in a very intelligent manner may pose a problem for the group. Solutions to collective action group problems depends on policies that provide an incentive for individuals to act in the interest of the group. Collective action problems can be solved by individuals, by coercive actions of government or by a private or non-profit organization. Nebraska recruits poll workers much like jury duty using the registered voter list. If a citizen fails to show up, they are charged with a Class III misdemeanor.
Being a poll worker is a very important job. Voting is a core value for democracy. The places where people vote must be orderly and unbiased. Voting hours must be long to accommodate different schedules. Poll workers are at the frontline of ensuring elections are fair and efficient. When poll worker positions are not filled or if a recruited worker does not show up, the fairness and efficiency of elections are threatened.
The Poll Worker Recruitment problem is dire. 56% of election officials reported that they were unable to fully staff the polls in 2004. Many jurisdictions that require bilingual poll workers did not have them. Most jurisdictions get the bulk of their poll workers from political parties.
Government is a key mechanism by which collective action problems are solved. Governments use the power of coercion to force people to act in certain ways. Governments avoid free riders (people who benefit from a policy but do not contribute to its cost) by taxing its citizens, or otherwise taxing activities related to the collective action problem.
The Poll Worker problem is a collective action problem because the value of having sufficient poll workers benefits the group (having a fair and clean place to vote) but individually people do not feel obligated to work at the polls. The group in this case is the registered voters in an area. The benefits of having poll workers are diffuse and individually very small. The poll worker function is a public good. Public goods provide a benefit to all in the group. Public goods are services that individuals benefit from but cannot be sold separately or given to individuals.
Two approaches to solving the problem are changes to the poll worker schedule and more aggressive recruiting of college students. On election day, poll workers arrive before the polls open – usually 7 am local time – and remain the entire day until the polls close which varies by jurisdiction but usually is 8-10 pm. This is more than a 12 hour day; long, tiring and intense (the voting machines often malfunction). Many people do not have the time flexibility to work 12 hours straight. Splitting the shift into 6 hour shifts would make the job more appealing to many people. These reforms would receive little public scrutiny. The changes could be done at the state level enhancing the low visibility of the issues. This policy tool is Regulation.
Benefits go to 156 million registered voters who come to polls to vote on Election Day. Costs are borne by taxpayers through local property taxes or by state appropriations from an income tax. The benefits of the regulation change are diffuse, and the costs are minimal and diffuse.
A second approach would be an increased effort in Public Information. Facts and messages about poll worker positions and how to apply for the job would be widely distributed to audiences likely to be interested in working, such as college students, the unemployed, and local political committees. The job information would be disseminated through public ads in newspapers, ads on television and radio, direct mail, and ads on the internet and flyers. Many people are unaware that poll workers are paid or that they are difficult to recruit.
Training of poll workers especially in how to handle problems (missing voter registration, voters in the wrong polling place etc.) and newer technologies is needed. The Bergen County N.J. Board of Elections has a mandatory training for poll workers before Election Day and pays each poll worker a $200 stipend for their effort. For most, that is sufficient incentive. If working at the polls were to rely on voluntary participation, few people would participate.
Increasing the number of poll workers by aggressive marketing would benefit registered workers who come to the polls. The costs are borne by taxpayers. The benefits are more concentrated than the costs but still quite diffuse – registered voters v. taxpaying public. Also receiving benefits are the poll workers that sign up – a part-time one day job with pay. And though a small benefit, poll workers may get some personal satisfaction from participating in the frontline of democracy.
Many studies have confirmed that poll workers can make or break the confidence of the voter in the election process. As Hall et al. (2009) concludes “the people who apply the policy matter as much as the policy itself”. Competent and courteous poll workers are what this critical tool of democracy requires.
