At least 100 University of Maryland students will be trained and available to serve as non-partisan poll workers on Election Day 2004 in Prince George's County, Maryland, thanks to a grant from the U.S. Election Assistance Commission under its Help America Vote College Program.

The $25,000 grant to the university's Center for American Politics and Citizenship is one of 15 awarded to colleges and universities nationwide. The grant will help pay the costs to recruit university student as poll workers on November 2, 2004. It will also fund a research project to determine the most effective techniques to train and recruit students to serve as poll workers.

"University students, and young people in general, have a critical role to play in making our elections run more smoothly, especially since they are very comfortable with the technology used in modern computerized voting systems," says Paul Herrnson, director of the Center for American Politics and Citizenship and a professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland. "Prince George's County needed hundreds more poll workers four years ago. University students can fill the gap and provide the needed energy and enthusiasm."

The Help America Vote College Program is part of the larger Help America Vote Act, or HAVA, passed in 2002, which funneled money to the states to help replace outdated voting machines and set minimum standards for the administration of federal elections. U.S. Rep. Steny Hoyer was the lead House Democratic sponsor of the HAVA legislation and incorporated the Help America Vote College Program into it.

"I am deeply gratified that so many Maryland students have volunteered to serve as non-partisan poll workers in next Tuesday's election in Prince George's County, thanks to the HAVA program," Hoyer says. "They will help satisfy the need for almost 2 million volunteer poll workers and election judges to make sure every eligible American has his or her vote counted. My hope is that through first-hand exposure to the polling place, young people participating in the HAVA program will gain a deeper respect for our democratic process and a stronger appreciation for the idea that their vote does make a difference."

On Nov. 2, University of Maryland students will hold a variety of election site responsibilities in Prince George's County, such as helping voters check in and get set up on voting machines.

So far, Prince George's County election officials have trained about 100 University of Maryland students. County election officials will hand out election night assignments.