80 Westwood Regional students complete poll worker training for Nov. 3 election

More than 80 students at Westwood Regional High School have completed training to serve as poll workers for the Nov. 3 general election. The program, which is in its third year, prepares students for paid, nonpartisan work at voting locations across the district. The school serves residents of Westwood and the Township of Washington.

An experienced election worker led the two-hour training session on Sept. 30 at the high school. Most of the participants were juniors and seniors, though one sophomore also completed the course. The Bergen County Board of Elections has partnered with the school to staff the polls with local students.

Shift assignments depend on the age of the student. Those aged 16 and 17 may work either the early shift from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. or the late shift from 12:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Students who are 18 years old and older are eligible to work the full day at their assigned polling place.

Mia Moreta-Perez, a senior at Westwood Regional, worked the polls in November of last year. She greeted voters at a tablet station at a Hillsdale polling place and assisted older residents with check-in. In a statement shared by the district, she described the experience as a day to remember that filled her heart with joy and love.

The district said Moreta-Perez is considering a career in criminal justice. She stated she would like to work the polls again in 2027 if she is still residing in New Jersey. The county reported that more than 500 students from 25 high schools signed up to work the 2025 general election, a record for the program according to Chairman Richard L. Miller.

Miller told Pascack Press reporter Michael Olohan at the time that the 2025 turnout was a record for the county student poll worker program. The current class of over 80 Westwood Regional students continues that effort for the upcoming election.