Hannah Locop (right) and Corey Shearer (left) volunteered as poll monitors for the municipal elections in March 2026.

I didn’t know that Election Day could be a party until I voted in Miami. The local library turns into a vibrant and electric place, where campaigners in various colors are blasting bachata music, chanting on megaphones, and of course, having last-minute conversations with voters about which candidate they should vote for. Even if your polling place is a little quieter than mine, I still think Election Day should be a celebratory occasion. But if you’re a voter trying to quickly run in on Tuesday, November 3rd to cast your ballot, you might miss some very important and helpful people along the way – poll monitors!

Poll monitors are volunteers who assist voters with everyday questions regarding the voting process and their rights. If a voter experiences any discrimination, intimidation, or even an administrative mistake that impedes their right to vote, poll monitors can report directly to a qualified team of election experts and lawyers to escalate the issue and ensure that every eligible voter casts a ballot on Election Day. There are no specific qualifications to become a poll monitor (you don’t need legal training or previous election experience, for example). In fact, Common Cause Florida, a nonprofit, is hosting multiple virtual community trainings throughout the month of October that will teach you how to be a helpful and effective poll monitor.

I’ve personally been a poll monitor in two elections, so far. A part of my role was to assess how safe and accessible the polling location was – if there was adequate signage, accessible parking spots and if campaigners were respecting the 150-foot solicitation boundary. Poll monitors also serve as friendly faces and potential translators for voters. We wear yellow shirts featuring the national voter hotline number (1-888-OUR-VOTE for English and 1-888-API-VOTE for Asian languages) as well as name badges that feature which languages we speak, in addition to English. AAPI community members deserve to see people at their polling place who look like them and speak their native languages. Our presence instills confidence and a sense of safety to voters. That’s why it’s so important for our community members, especially people who speak Asian languages, to volunteer as poll monitors. 

From Miami-Dade all the way north to Duval county and west to the Gulf Coast, there are opportunities for you to step up as a poll monitor this year. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Sign up at protectthevote.net to become a poll monitor in your area
2. Sign up for a virtual poll monitor training at Mobilize.us taking place this October
3. اتصال organizefl@apiavote.org to sign up for a shift at a polling location near you during early voting or on Election Day

Once you’re signed up and trained, you’ll receive in the mail a yellow Election Protection t-shirt and all the materials you need to be an effective poll monitor.

We’ll see you out there!