Michigan poll worker pay varies sharply by location

How much a poll worker earns in Michigan depends less on what they do and more on where they do it.

Across the state, pay for election inspectors — the workers who check in voters and keep precincts running — can range from less than $175 a day to more than $300. That means two people doing the same job just a few miles apart might take home dramatically different paychecks.

State law only requires that election officials “receive reasonable compensation,” leaving the exact amount up to local officials. But for poll workers, where they choose to do the job is almost entirely up to them.

Votebeat surveyed more than 60 communities to see what clerks offer their poll workers. The results show wide gaps not only in pay but also in benefits, from free meals to same-day paychecks — and reveal how those differences shape the pool of workers each community can attract and keep.




https://www.votebeat.org/michigan/2025/09/23/poll-worker-pay-not-standardized-election-inspector/