College Students Will Be Paid to Work at Polls, Harris Says

College students will be able to get paid for working at polling places ahead of the 2024 election through the federally funded work study program, Vice President Kamala Harris said.

The announcement was made when Ms. Harris met with voting rights activists in Washington on Feb. 27 to talk about strategies to boost voter turnout.

“We have been doing work to promote voter participation for students,” she said. “For example, we have, under the Federal Work Study (FWS) program, now allow students to get paid, through federal work study, to register people and to be non-partisan poll workers.”

Work-study is a way for students to earn money to pay for their education through part-time, typically on-campus jobs. The taxpayer-funded program is meant to provide students with an opportunity to gain work experience while pursuing a college degree.

In some states such as New York, college campuses hosting more than a certain number of active voters are mandated to have a polling place.

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In a Feb. 26 memo, the U.S. Department of Education said that FWS funds could be used to support efforts to increase voters’ access to the polls, particularly by employing students in voter registration activities by public entities.

“This work can include supporting broad-based get-out-the-vote activities, voter registration, providing voter assistance at a polling place or through a voter hotline, or serving as a poll worker,” it explained.

Obamacare Enrollees to Get Reminders

As another part of the effort to increase voter engagement, the Biden administration will start sending voting information to the 21 million Americans currently enrolled in the Affordable Care Act, Ms. Harris said on Feb. 27.

“I can now announce that HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) will start emailing information on how to register to vote to everyone who enrolled in the ACA, the Affordable Care Act,” she said, referring to the health insurance plan known as Obamacare.

The U.S. Department of the Interior will also start displaying voter registration information at the gate of every national park, the vice president added. Social Security offices will display similar information.

“There’s so much about our work that we do together that really is grounded and also I think a common belief in the importance of self-determination and the connection between that and the right of people to be able to express their civic duty in every way including through their ability, unfettered ability to vote,” she said.

Ms. Harris also took the opportunity to blame those who question election integrity for election workers quitting in droves.

“We have seen those who would loudly attempt to interfere in the lawful votes of the American people and attempt to question the integrity of a fair and free election system,” she told the audience. “We have seen a rise in threats against poll workers.”

Michigan was one of the battleground states that became a center of controversy because of heavily contested election outcomes in 2020.

Among other threats, the man said in a voicemail message that the clerk deserved a “throat to the knife” for saying that there were “no irregularities” in the election, according to federal prosecutors.

He is scheduled to be sentenced in July and faces up to five years in prison.