ABA joins NASS and NASED to mobilize lawyers as poll workers for midterm elections

August 26, 2026

ABA joins NASS and NASED to mobilize lawyers as poll workers for midterm elections

WASHINGTON, Aug. 26, 2026 - For the fourth election cycle, the American Bar Association is collaborating with the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) and the National Association of State Election Directors (NASED) to issue a call aimed at mobilizing lawyers to assist as poll workers for the upcoming midterm elections. The Poll Worker, Esq., initiative encourages lawyers, law students and other legal professionals to assist in upcoming elections by serving as poll workers.

"Elections are at the heart of any democracy," ABA President Barbrara J. Howard said. "And they must run smoothly and effectively for people to have confidence in the process. Election Day in America takes large numbers of civically engaged people dedicated to administering free and fair elections. Lawyers are an ideal group to volunteer as poll workers. They are civic leaders, explain rules and facilitate interactions with election administrators. Poll Worker Esq. can help lawyers get involved and play a meaningful role in in supporting our electoral process."

The initiative will be accompanied by an ABA social media campaign designed to provide practical ways to get involved in the election process.

Information on this campaign can be found at ambar.org/vote, the ABA's Poll Worker, Esq. homepage, which provides resources on the need for poll workers, the crucial work they do and the reasons why lawyers are perfectly suited for that work.

Interested lawyers and law students can go to https://www.canivote.org and click on the Become a Poll Worker tab to find out how to serve in their jurisdictions. Depending on the state or territory, tasks may range from staffing voting locations to processing returned ballot envelopes. Some jurisdictions offer Continuing Legal Education credit for training and service as a poll worker as well. The hashtag for the effort is #PollWorkerEsq.

"America's elections depend on dedicated citizens who are willing to serve their communities, and poll workers are at the heart of that effort," said Steve Hobbs, NASS president and Washington secretary of state. "We appreciate the ABA's continued partnership in encouraging its members to help ensure every voter has a smooth, secure and positive voting experience."

"Poll workers are essential to the success of every election, serving on the front lines, assisting voters and helping ensure that election procedures are carried out accurately and fairly," said Mark Goins, NASED president and Tennessee coordinator of elections. "As an attorney myself, I am pleased to see members of the legal profession step forward to serve their communities through the Poll Worker, Esq. initiative."

The ABA Standing Committee on Election Law is a bipartisan committee of election law experts working to ensure smooth, secure and equitable election administration at the federal, state and local level.

National Association of Secretaries of State is the nation's oldest nonpartisan professional organization for public officials. NASS serves as a medium for the exchange of information between states and fosters cooperation in the development of public policy. The association has key initiatives in the areas of elections and voting, state business services, cybersecurity and archives/records management.

The National Association of State Election Directors is a nonpartisan professional association for state election directors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. In each of their states, election directors are responsible for implementing election laws and policies, maintaining voter registration databases, working with local election officials to ensure a successful voting experience for all voters and more. NASED facilitates the distribution of election administration best practices and information across the states and territories.