Updates

The Vet the Vote Coalition announced today it has recruited over 36,000 poll workers for the 2022 midterm elections - with a massive overnight signup of 34,379 military veterans and family members who volunteered to work the polls this November.

Vet the Vote is a pro-democracy non-partisan coalition of twenty-three veteran and military service organizations, five civic groups, Power the Polls, the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, and the National Football League (NFL) whose goal is to recruit 100,000 veterans and family members to serve as new poll workers.  

The large number of signups is a result of the increased awareness of the critical shortfall of poll workers carried by several recent print and broadcast media stories about our efforts and especially due to a Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter story featuring Vet the Vote which was sent this week to millions of veterans -  sharing our invitation for veterans and their family members to serve our democracy as poll workers.

“I almost couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened the morning report and saw that more than 34,000 veterans and military family members responded to our invitation to serve as poll workers,” said Ingrid Sundlee, Director of Civic Engagement for We the Veterans - the veteran service organization coordinating the Vet the Vote campaign. “The boost in signups is proof that once we make veterans and military family members aware of a challenge and an opportunity to serve our country and communities again, they are ready and willing to answer the call.”

The COVID-19 pandemic and reports of threats of political violence have contributed to the nation-wide poll worker crisis. Traditionally, poll workers tend to be 60 years of age and older and election boards across the country have struggled to recruit enough volunteers. America needs to recruit more than 1 million volunteers annually to administer election polling sites.

There are more than 17 million veterans in the United States and millions more military and veteran family members. The veteran community is one of the most diverse and geographically diffuse populations in America, represented in every voting jurisdiction. We believe our community is up to the task and ideally positioned to help solve this national shortage of poll workers.

“The incredible response of veterans to the Department of Veterans Affairs newsletter also demonstrates the capacity of the VA to support civic engagement in our community,” said Ellen Gustafson, Co-Founder of We the Veterans.” We thank the VA for helping us raise awareness of the national poll worker shortage and invite veterans and their families to serve their country again.” 

For more information, visit www.VetThe.Vote and www.WeTheVeterans.us