Emergency Medicine doctors have many unique qualities and skill sets that set us apart from other doctors. We are trained to be able to practice medicine in any setting – from the most well resourced academic hospital, all the way to austere conditions such as on a mountaintop with nothing near by. We pride ourselves on being flexible, adaptable, and maintaining a positive outlook to tackle any emergency that comes our way. This includes mass casualty events and rarely occurring, but disaster events. Call us crazy, but if aliens crashed onto the planet, you would want an ED doctor nearby, because she probably knows how to approach the initial evaluation and resuscitation!

These medical skills are transferable to real life. Our ability to be flexible, adaptable, and maintain a positive outlook to tackle any emergency extends to rare non-medical and large crowd events. Even in these situations, you want an Emergency Medicine doctor around.

And this is exactly why we should sign up to work as election poll workers in our elections!

Election poll workers are your friendly workers who can be found at election poll centers during each local and national election. While this is a paid position, it usually isn’t a significant amount, which means that majority of poll workers do this out of a sense of duty to their community and country.

In fact, poll workers truly sustain the backbone of democracy, which is to help maintain the process of fair and open elections. Poll workers are the people who make sure your ballot is counted, that your voice is heard, and that our country moves forward.

In my FIX18 talk – I issued a CALL TO ACTION. And I do it again; I challenge each and every one of you to become an election poll worker.

To learn more about the specific requirements of your state and how to register, please go to www.eac.gov. While national elections are not until 2020, realize that many local and county elections and voting events take place, so your help is still needed!

Watch the FIX18 talk below!