Indiana students are preparing to vote on Election Day through the Hoosier Hall Pass program

Condition Hoosier Hall Pass Program allows 16- and 17-year-olds to skip school and work at the polls on election day.

To be eligible to work on surveys, students must have at least a 3.0 grade point average and obtain consent from their schools and parents or guardians. They must also attend training before Election Day.

Amy Scrogham is the Allen County Elections Director. She said 50 of the county’s 670 poll workers in this election will be students participating in the Hoosier Hall Pass program. Most of them will work as judicial assistants.

“They allow people to connect to voting machines at their assigned polling stations throughout the day,” she said.

The number of students needed to work in each election varies depending on the year and type of election. For example, approximately 20 students usually participate in urban general elections. County officials are working closely with local high schools to recruit the targeted number of student survey workers.

Scrogham said student poll workers will learn another side of the election and become more familiar with how it works, so they will be more knowledgeable when they are old enough to vote.

“They get to see a different side, which I think is very important,” she said.

The Hoosier Hall Pass Program is overseen by the Indiana Secretary of State’s office. Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales said in a news release earlier this year that Indiana needs at least 20,000 election workers to ensure efficient and credible elections.

“Recruiting dedicated poll workers is critical to the success of our elections. Statewide elections depend on engaged Hoosiers who help ensure every vote is counted accurately and efficiently,” he said.

St. County Clerk Joseph, Amy Rolfes, said Indiana poll workers tend to be older, and Saint Joseph County is no exception. About 10 to 15 poll workers in the district are between 75 and 80 years old, she said. The electoral commission tried to involve more young people in the process, but recruiting students was difficult due to their busy schedules.

The county first began hiring students through the Hoosier Hall Pass program during the primary election held earlier this year. In November, 25 high school students will work at polling stations throughout the district. Rolfes said they will work with experienced poll workers who will mentor them.

“It’s also a great way to build community because it helps bridge the gap between our veterans,” she said. “And they realize that these younger kids are not afraid of technology. They are happy to jump in.”

Students participating in the program perform various jobs on Election Day. In St. County Joseph voters often serve as election marshals, greeting voters at the door, encouraging them to prepare identification and asking about name and address changes.

“We will start Hoosier Hall Pass students with a very easy job, such as sheriff. That’s our plan for this year,” Rolfes said.

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Students can also register voters or run voting machines. In St. County Joseph’s earn $160 a day, but that amount varies by county.

Rolfes said no matter what job students do, they can experience every aspect of the voting process. This ultimately helps build their confidence in the electoral process.

“My number one goal is to increase public confidence in elections,” Rolfes said. “The mechanism I use is that I invite anyone who is skeptical about the electoral process to become a voting center employee. They keep an eye on everything related to the election from start to finish.”

Rolfes believes the Hoosier Hall Pass program will continue to gain popularity in St. County. Joseph because students are curious about how elections work.

“I really appreciate that they want to get involved to learn more about the election,” she said. “If we start at the high school level and these students learn about this process and how trustworthy the process is, especially in Indiana where we have our strict election laws, they can become advocates for the election process.”

Kirsten is our education reporter. Contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter at @kirsten_adair.

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