Obama urges followers to become poll workers

Former President Obama encouraged his supporters Friday to get involved in the 2020 election by volunteering at their local polling locations. 

“If you’re looking for a way to get involved in this upcoming election, sign up to volunteer as a poll worker for early voting and Election Day,” Obama tweeted. “You can help your community and make sure this election runs fairly and safely.”  

The former president shared a link to a website aiming to connect potential volunteers with their local board of elections. The organization, “More than a Vote” promises “complete training, PPE [personal protective equipment], and in most jurisdictions, you will be paid a stipend.” 

Several states have reported a massive shortage in poll workers this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

During last month’s Democratic National Convention, Obama make the case for presidential nominee Joe Biden, his former vice president, and waged a blistering attack on President Trump. 

“I have sat in the Oval Office with both of the men who are running for president. I never expected that my successor would embrace my vision or continue my policies,” he said. “I did hope, for the sake of our country, that Donald Trump might show some interest in taking the job seriously; that he might come to feel the weight of the office and discover some reverence for the democracy that had been placed in his care.” 

Obama accused Trump and his allies of trying to suppress the vote in America, especially in poorer and minority communities. 

“So they’re hoping to make it as hard as possible for you to vote, and to convince you that your vote doesn’t matter,” he said. “That’s how they win. That’s how they get to keep making decisions that affect your life, and the lives of the people you love. That’s how the economy will keep getting skewed to the wealthy and well-connected, how our health systems will let more people fall through the cracks. That’s how a democracy withers, until it’s no democracy at all.”