Election Judge - Absentee Ballot Board

Temporary Election Judge Positions

Hennepin County's Elections department is seeking to fill temporary election judge positions to be members of the Hennepin County Absentee Ballot Board through the 2026 General Election. Primary duties of these positions will be to support absentee ballot processing operations and compare signatures on voter's absentee ballot envelopes with their signed absentee ballot application verifying envelopes meet all legal requirements to be accepted.

The Elections department is looking for individuals that are named on one of the two major party election judge lists (Democratic-Farmer Labor party or Republican party) provided by the Secretary of State's Office.

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information, visit the employee referral program.

Location and hours: These positions will be performed on-site at 625 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55487 during the 2026 absentee voting periods:

• July 20 - August 12
• October 16 - November 11

Normal business hours are 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and subject to availability of work. Weeknights/weekends may be required. Work is required at 8 p.m. on election day.

About these position types:

These are limited duration (temporary), part-time, non-benefit earning positions. These positions are internally classified as an Office Specialist I. Click here to view the job classification specification.

In this position, you will:

• Compare signatures on absentee ballot envelopes with signatures on absentee ballot applications verifying envelopes meet all legal requirements to be accepted.
• Support absentee ballot processing operations.
• Other absentee ballot board duties as assigned.

Need to have:

• One of the following:
  • One or more full-time equivalent years of office clerical experience.
  • Six months or more of office clerical experience and completion of the Office Specialist Pathway Training program.
  • Note: Education may be substituted for experience on a semester (12 credits) basis.
• Applicant name on one of the two major party election judge lists provided by the Secretary of State's Office (Democratic-Farmer-Labor party or Republican party).

Meet all basic requirements to serve as an election judge in Minnesota including eligibility to vote in Minnesota, able to read, write, and speak English. Restrictions include:

• Candidates for office cannot be an election judge in a precinct where they appear on the ballot. This includes those who are actively campaigning as a write-in candidate.
• A person who is a relative of a candidate for office cannot serve in a precinct where that candidate is on the ballot. Relatives include a spouse, parent, child, stepchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister.
• A person who temporarily or permanently lives in the same house as a candidate cannot serve in a precinct where that candidate is on the ballot.
• Election judges who are relatives to each other cannot serve together in the same precinct during the same shift. Relatives include a spouse, parent, child, stepchild, brother, sister, stepbrother, or stepsister. Relatives can work separate, non-overlapping shifts in the same precinct.
• A challenger appointed to contest voter eligibility cannot serve as an election judge.

Nice to have:

• Experience:
  • Working as an election judge on election day.
  • Working as an absentee ballot board member during previous elections.
• Ability to:
  • Understand basic elections policy and procedures.
  • Work in accordance with Minnesota statutes and rules.
  • Follow instructions completely and accurately.
  • Demonstrate teamwork skills working with a diverse group of co-workers.
  • Meet daily deadlines.

About the department: Hennepin County Elections works with partners at the federal, state, and local level to provide voting services to over one million eligible county residents in over 400 polling places throughout the county. Program areas include voter registration, absentee voting, voter education and engagement, local election clerk training, voting technology, election day operations, results reporting and certification, recounts and audits, candidate filing, campaign finance reporting, violation investigations, and elections data stewardship.

About Hennepin County: Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive. Our employees receive a combination of generous benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (select guest). Hennepin County envisions an organization where our commitment to diversity and the elimination of disparities is fundamental in providing excellent service to our community. Your future. Made here. This posting may be used to fill current and future vacancies.

Watch this video for application best practices and tips. Invitations to interview will be based upon an assessment of education and experience. Final candidates may be required to complete a background check. If you have any questions, please contact Talent Acquisition Division Hennepin County Human Resources Department at View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io.