Seal of Sandoval County
Yucca illustration

Compensation and Requirements

Election Worker Pay Structure

Gubernatorial General Election 2026

All poll workers will be paid $100 for training, paid within 30 days following the date of election. Training ranges between 4–6 hours and is mandatory. Please note people who only show up for training but do not serve as a poll worker will only be compensated $25.00 for the training 30 days after the election. If poll workers leave early from training they will not be given a certificate of completion and need to attend another training.

1-13-2. Post-election duties; missing returns.

A. If at the time the county canvassing board meets it appears that a precinct board [election board] has not delivered the election returns to the county clerk, the county canvassing board shall immediately issue a summons to bring before it the delinquent precinct board [election board] together with the missing election returns. The summons shall be served by the sheriff, without cost to the county, and the members of the precinct board [election board] shall not be paid for their service on election day.

B. If within ten days after the date of the election the secretary of state has not received the election returns of any precinct, the secretary of state may send a special messenger to the county and precinct to secure and convey the missing returns to the secretary of state.

Presiding Judge / Assistant Presiding Judge
$400 for Election Day & $24.00 an hour for Early Voting
Judge
$300 for Election Day & $20.00 an hour for Early Voting
Clerk
$225 for Election Day & $18.00 an hour for Early Voting
Same Day Registration (SDR) Agent
$225 for Election Day & $18.00 an hour for Early Voting
Translator
$225 for Election Day & $18.00 an hour for Early Voting
Messenger / Technician III
$24.00 / hr

**Please note on Election Day you can exceed 16 hours of work.

Statutory Requirements

1-2-7. Election board; qualification of members; qualification of presiding judges; qualification of qualified residents.

A. In order to qualify for appointment by the county clerk as a member of the election board, a person shall:

  1. be a voter of the county in which the person is appointed to serve;
  2. be able to read and write;
  3. have the necessary capacity to carry out an election board member's functions with acceptable skill and dispatch; and
  4. execute the election board member's oath of office.

B. Before serving as a presiding judge of an election board, a person shall receive training in the duties of that position by the county clerk.

C. No person shall be qualified for appointment or service on an election board:

  1. who is a candidate to be voted for at the election;
  2. who is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, child, brother or sister of any candidate to be voted for at the election;
  3. who is married to a parent, child, brother or sister of any candidate to be voted for at the election or who is the parent of the spouse or domestic partner of any candidate to be voted for at the election; or
  4. who is a sheriff, deputy sheriff, marshal, deputy marshal or state or municipal police officer.

D. A county clerk may appoint qualified residents to serve on an election board under the direct supervision of the presiding judge. A qualified resident appointed by the county clerk shall:

  1. meet the qualifications set forth in Paragraphs (2) through (4) of Subsection A of this section; and
  2. be sixteen or seventeen years of age at the time of the election in which the qualified resident is serving as a member of an election board.

E. A qualified resident appointed to an election board shall not serve as the presiding judge or as an election judge.

Election Technician / Messenger(s):
May deliver ballot boxes, poll books, keys, election supplies and other materials pertaining to the election. Messengers may also be authorized to collect absentee ballots and removable media storage devices from polling places and deliver them to locations designated by the county clerk.

1-2-16. Election board; messengers; compensation.

A. Members of an election board and messengers shall be compensated for their services at an hourly rate set by the secretary of state; provided that the rate in each county shall not be less than the federal minimum hourly wage rate nor more than four hundred dollars ($400) for an election day; and provided further that the rate may differentiate among the presiding judge, election judges, election clerks and messengers.  Election board members and messengers shall be paid for training and may additionally be paid mileage as provided in the Per Diem and Mileage Act [10-8-1to 10-8-8 NMSA 1978] each way over the usually traveled route when an election board member or messenger travels by private vehicle.

B. Members of an election board and messengers assigned to alternate voting or alternate mobile voting locations or absent voter precincts may be compensated at an hourly rate set by the county clerk.

C. Compensation shall be paid within thirty days following the date of election.

D. For purposes of determining eligibility for membership in the public employees retirement association and pursuant to the provisions of Subsection B of Section 10-11-3NMSA 1978, election board members and messengers are designated as seasonal employees.