With the recent adoption of a new state law, Venice High students have the opportunity to work at the election polls, earn a little money, and skip a day of school. Mr. Michael Finegold, who is in charge of the operation, said that although the official deadline is Jan. 26th, no Venice spots are left for this year’s elections on Mar. 6 and May 15.

But this job is available to students every election. Any student wishing to work at the polls must be a U.S. citizen who is at least 16 and has a grade point average of 2.5 or higher. They work at a polling place on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. doing things such as checking people in and sorting ballots. Anyone who signs up will have to attend a training session after school (on the week of Feb. 12 for this year’s workers).

“It’s a long day and a rather boring job,” said Mr. Finegold. But there are a few definite plusses.

The pay is $105 for one day and there are two election days per year that people can work at. Students also receive 8 1/2 hours of community service per day. Students can choose to work on both election days or just one.

The organizers of this event provide location options for students. They try to get students a polling place near their home, but students can also choose to work near their high school. This year, 106 people from Venice will be working at the polls.

The opportunity for high school students to work at election polls is actually new. Officially it is known in California as the “Student Voting Project,” and Secretary of State Debra Bowen, formerly the state senator for the Venice area, originally suggested the idea. She meant it to be a learning tool as much as it is a working opportunity. According to Bowen, students can experience democracy first-hand, and learn all about the voting process. She argues that a day at the polls can be a unique learning opportunity that makes up for missing school.