In some jurisdictions, defined educational or professional qualifications are the major criterion for appointment to some or all voting operations staff positions.
Setting reasonable minimum education standard may be a useful way of ensuring that staff members possess the basic skills required, particularly for those whose work histories may be non-existent or an unreliable measure.
Potential Restrictive Effects
Requiring professional qualifications for temporary voting station staff may unduly restrict employment opportunity and is often an inappropriate response to problems caused by lack of properly defined procedures. For example, in some jurisdictions, senior voting station staff are required to hold legal qualifications. Yet, lawyers may not be the most appropriate managers of staff for voter service quality.
Any problems of election law that arise during voting would be better solved by reference to a comprehensive standard procedures manual, backed by access to consistent legal advice. To allow voting station managers and other voting station staff to interpret election law, whatever their legal experience, can lead to controversial inconsistencies.
Technical Staff
Where temporary staff are engaged for administrative or technical support functions, requirements for professional qualifications may be entirely appropriate (for example, where temporary support staff are needed to maintain or operate financial or computer-based systems).
