How much a poll worker earns in Michigan depends less on what they do and more on where they do it. State law only requires that election officials “receive reasonable compensation,” leaving the exact amount up to local officials. But for poll workers, where they choose to do the job is almost entirely up to them. Many communities make poll workers wait several weeks for checks to be processed through the local government payroll. As a precinct chairperson, the title for more senior poll workers who work closely with city clerks, he makes $275 in Southfield, compared with $230 for entry-level poll workers.