Forsyth County Seeks More Than 600 Poll Workers Ahead of May 19

Forsyth County officials issued a public call on Feb. 18, 2026, saying the county needs more than 600 poll workers to staff 30 Election Day polling places and four advanced voting locations for the May 19 General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election. The recruitment drive covers both early voting and Election Day positions as county election managers prepare for a slate of 2026 contests.

“We have over 182,000 registered voters; we will end up with 30 polling places on election day to be staffed and 4 advanced voting locations to be staffed,” said Mandi Smith, Director of Voter Registrations and Elections. Smith’s office framed the push as necessary to ensure each site has trained teams in place for opening, ballot handling and voter assistance.

Smith emphasized the staffing strain that counties have faced since 2020. “I’ll be honest it has been a challenge since 2020 honestly, so we’ve continued to sort of overcome that challenge of having enough poll workers,” she said. The May 19 date presents an added hurdle, Smith noted: “In our case a little extra wrinkle is that week, that’s when a lot of graduations are happening.”

Prospective poll workers must be U.S. citizens and at least 16 years old, the county office said. Typical duties outlined by the elections office include welcoming voters, verifying photo IDs, checking in voters, assisting voters with election equipment when needed, keeping lines moving efficiently, activating the ballot marking device, managing the tabulator, reconciling voter applications and providing curbside voting services. The county described the roles as nonpartisan operational positions essential to polling place integrity: “A sufficient group of trained poll workers is essential to the integrity and operations of each polling place,” Smith wrote in a county release.

County officials asked people willing to serve to sign up ahead of the May 19 primary; the elections office also noted additional 2026 dates that will require staffing, including a June 16 General Primary Runoff if needed, the Nov. 3 General Election and a Dec. 1 General Election Runoff if needed. The recruitment announcement said needs span both early voting periods and Election Day coverage.

Anyone interested in serving should consult the Forsyth County government website for application details and schedules provided by the Department of Voter Registrations and Elections. With more than 182,000 registered voters in the county and 30 Election Day sites to staff, election officials said a large volunteer pool will be necessary to keep voting lines moving and equipment staffed across the 2026 cycle.