EVERY VOTE COUNTS, AND SO DO YOU

Election Jobs

The Town of Essex is recruiting temporary election workers to support the delivery of the 2026 Municipal Election. 

Election staff play an important role in ensuring voting locations operate efficiently and that electors receive the assistance they need throughout the voting process.

Successful applicants will work during advance voting days and/or Election Day, depending on operational needs. Individuals may be assigned to more than one voting day or more than one role. 

To be eligible to work as an Elections Official for the Town of Essex, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Must be a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident.
  • Must be at least 16 years old.
  • Must NOT be a candidate or third-party advertiser in the 2026 Municipal Election and any by-elections during Council's term.
  • Must NOT be prohibited by law from voting in a municipal election.

There are a range of different roles required. Please see the Job Descriptions listed below:

Position Status: Temporary Assignment – Election Day and/or Advance Poll

Location: Town of Essex; Harrow, McGregor, Colchester, Essex Centre

Hourly Rate: $225 a day + $50 for training

Hours of Work: Up to 12 hours

What to expect in this role?
The Information Officer (IO) greets, directs, and assists electors at a voting location.

Reporting to the Elections Coordinator, you will:

  • Ensure the voting location is free of any partisan campaign materials.
  • Ensure the voting location is accessible to the electors, and assist with accessibility requirements, including opening doors for electors.
  • Greet electors at the voting location and request they have proper identification ready.
  • Assist electors at the voting location and provide them with instructions and directions.
  • Assist electors with disabilities, if required.
  • Manage a large volume of electors within a voting location.
  • Escalate elector issues to the SDRO in an efficient and timely manner, as required.
  • Assist SDRO in shutting down the voting location, packing poll materials and removing all posters and signs after closing on election night.

How to qualify:

  • Availability to work up to 13 hours on election day, remaining on-site for the entire assignment.
  • Must attend an IO/Greeter training session.
  • Ability to read and observe voting procedures at the voting location.
  • Strong interpersonal communication and customer service skills.
  • Ability to identify and verify information provided by an elector in a timely
  • Ability to learn quickly, follow directions, and complete repetitive duties.
  • Ability to multi-task.
  • Be at least 16 years of age on election day.

Position Status: Temporary Assignment – Election Day and/or Advance Poll

Location: Town of Essex; Harrow, McGregor, Colchester, Essex Centre

Pay Rate: $300 a day + $60 for training

Hours of Work: Up to 13 hours

What to expect in this role?
The VLAC assists the Deputy Returning Officer with processing electors, reviewing forms and
preparing oaths.

Reporting to the SDRO, you will:

  • Complete revisions and additions to eligible electors on the electronic voters list.
  • Verify elector identification and qualifications to vote and assist electors in the voting process.
  • Locate elector’s name on the database.
  • Collect elector personal information to complete online forms and oaths for the DRO.
  • Issue ballots to eligible electors if additional support is needed.
  • Complete tasks manually, using paper forms and lists, legibly and efficiently, if required.
  • Ensure the voting location is free of any partisan campaign materials.
  • Ensure the voting location is accessible to the electors.
  • Assist electors with disabilities, if required.
  • Direct any elector issues to the SDRO as they arise.
  • Shut down the voting location, pack any technology and poll materials to be returned to Town Hall and remove posters and signage.
  • Ensure poll supplies and technology from the voting location are returned to the SDRO after closing on election day.

How to qualify:

  • Availability to work up to 13 hours on election day, remaining on-site for the entire day.
  • Must attend a VLAC training session.
  • Ability to read and observe voting procedures at the voting location.
  • Strong interpersonal communication and problem-solving skills to resolve issues and communicate solutions to staff and the public in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Ability to understand, rationalize and resolve situations efficiently as they arise.
  • Ability to identify and verify information provided by an elector in a timely manner via computer.
  • Ability to complete forms with good attention to detail.
  • Ability to learn quickly, follow directions, and complete repetitive duties.
  • Ability to multi-task.
  • Must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on election day.

Position Status: Temporary Assignment – Election Day and/or Advance Poll

Location: Town of Essex; Harrow, McGregor, Colchester, Essex Centre

Pay Rate: $300 a day + $60 for training

Hours of Work: Up to 13 hours

What to expect in this role?
The DRO processes electors, revises their information, takes oaths and declarations and issues ballots
using a laptop computer which contains the electronic voters’ lists and list management
applications.

Reporting to the Supervising Deputy Returning Officer (SDRO), you will:

  • Notify the SDRO if there are any services that are disrupted, incidents that occur or complaints that are made at the voting location in a timely manner.
  • Ensure the voting location is free of any partisan campaign materials.
  • Ensure the voting location is accessible to the electors.
  • Assist electors with disabilities, if required.
  • Verify elector identification and qualifications to vote.
  • Issue ballots to eligible electors.
  • Complete revisions and additions to eligible electors on the electronic Voters List with the VLAC.
  • Process a large volume of electors within a voting location.
  • Direct any elector issues to the SDRO as they arise
  • Ensure the voting location promptly closes on time and that all electors that entered the voting location prior to close can mark and cast their ballot to vote.
  • Communicate the results of the Ballot Statement of the Poll to the SDRO
  • Shut down the voting location, pack any poll materials to be returned to Town Hall and remove all posters and signage at the voting location.

How to qualify:

  • Access to transportation is nice to have, not mandatory
  • Availability to work up to 13 hours on assigned voting days, remaining on-site for the entire day.
  • Must attend a DRO training session.
  • Ability to read and observe voting procedures at the voting location.
  • Strong interpersonal communication (verbal and written) and problem-solving skills to resolve issues and communicate solutions to staff and the public in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Ability to understand, rationalize and resolve situations efficiently as they arise.
  • Ability to identify and verify information provided by an elector in a timely manner
  • Ability to learn quickly, follow directions, and complete repetitive duties.
  • Ability to complete data entry of elector information using the electronic voters’ list application.
  • Ability to complete paper-based forms with clear and legible handwriting and good attention to detail, if required.
  • Ability to multi-task.
  • Must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on election day.

Position Status: Temporary Assignment – Election Day or  Advance Poll

Location: Town of Essex; Harrow, McGregor, Colchester, Essex Centre

Hourly Rate: $300 a day + $60 for training
Additional $60 for Advance Poll count on Election Night

Hours of Work: Up to 13 hours

What to expect in this role?
The TDRO manages and maintains the security of the tabulator, serves electors by feeding ballots into the vote tabulator in a way that ensures secrecy of the vote and prints the candidate results tape on Election Night.

Reporting to the SDRO, you will:

  • Assist electors casting their ballot by feeding the ballots into the vote tabulator
    machine.
  • Follow troubleshooting steps to assist in resolving issues with the vote tabulator.
  • Notify the SDRO of any incidents that occur or complaints that are made at the voting location in a timely manner.
  • Ensure the voting location is free of any partisan campaign materials.
  • Ensure the voting location is accessible to the electors.
  • Assist electors with disabilities, if assigned to the TDRO + AVT using additional accessibility technology terminal.
  • Manage a large flow of electors within a voting location.
  • Ensure the voting location promptly closes on time, and that all electors that entered the voting location prior to closing can mark and cast their ballot to vote.
  • Generate the tabulation results and print the candidates result tape after closing on election night, TDROs assigned to Advance Polls will be required to return to Town
    Hall on Election Night to print and report their results.
  • Provide tabulation results tape to SDRO for reporting results and filing at Town Hall.
  • Close down the voting location, pack the tabulator and any poll materials to be returned to Town Hall.
  • Ensure the tabulator is returned to Town Hall after closing on Election Night personally or through arrangements with the SDRO.

How to qualify:

  • Access to transportation to return the tabulator to Town Hall on election night.
  • Availability to work up to 13 hours on election day, remaining on-site for the full day.
  • Must attend a TDRO training session.
  • Ability to read and observe voting procedures at the voting location.
  • Strong interpersonal communication (verbal and written) and problem-solving skills to resolve issues and communicate solutions to staff and the public in an efficient and timely manner.
  • Ability to understand, rationalize and resolve situations efficiently as they arise.
  • Ability to identify and verify information provided by an elector in a timely manner via hard copy or mobile device.
  • Ability to read and key data on a touch screen using specific software programs.
  • Ability to learn quickly, follow directions, and complete repetitive duties.
  • Ability to multi-task.
  • Must be a Canadian citizen and at least 18 years of age on election day.

Apply Today!

Interested individuals are encouraged to complete the online election worker application form available below. 

Questions?

For general questions concerning the upcoming 2026 municipal election, send an email or give us a call at 519-776-7336 ext.1146

Contact Us

Town of Essex
33 Talbot Street South
Essex, Ontario, N8M 1A8

519-776-7336

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