Minnesota needs 30,000 election judges to serve at 3,500 polling locations during the 2016 primary and general elections.

Secretary of State Steve Simon put out a call Tuesday for more election judges, in particular bilingual judges. Anyone interested can sign up through their party by May 1 or apply directly to their city or county election offices.

“Election judges … are critical to ensuring that elections not only happen, but that the rights of voters are protected on Election Day,” Simon said.

Election judges greet and register voters, provide ballots, oversee ballot-counting machines and compile precinct voter statistics. Two-hour training sessions are offered.

Judges must also be able to read and speak English and eligible to vote in Minnesota. Students who are 16 or 17 years old can serve as election judge trainees and will have the same responsibilities as adult judges.

Election judges should be available to serve during both the primary election on Aug. 9 and the general election on Nov. 8, though may work only one.

More information is available at the Secretary of the State’s voter resource guide.