Anne Arundel needs Republicans. County is short 700 GOP election judges.

In politically purple Anne Arundel County, elections officials are issuing an urgent call for Republicans.

The Anne Arundel County Board of Elections needs 692 Republican residents to work as election judges this year.

“Maintaining a fair election requires citizens from all backgrounds and parties to step up and participate,” said David Garreis, director of the county board, in a news release.

Officials said they have received a “surplus” of applications from potential Democratic and unaffiliated judges. Maryland law requires polling places to be fairly balanced between Democratic and Republican oversight.

The county must staff 142 polling places by the Tuesday, June 23, primary election. Officials said in a release that if they do not receive enough Republican applicants by May 23, they will begin filling those vacancies with applicants from other political parties.

Anne Arundel County had 172,636 registered Democrats and 129,318 registered Republicans in March, according to data from the State Board of Elections. It is politically split, with four Democrats and three Republicans on the County Council.

“We want to ensure every precinct has the bipartisan oversight the law intends,” Garreis said in a statement. “But we can only do that if Republican residents step forward before the May 23 assignment deadline.”

Election judges can earn up to $375, including mandatory paid training. Positions will be filled on a rolling first-come, first-served basis, officials said.

The county needs 1,964 election judges to fill all the positions for the upcoming primary, Garreis said. More than 2,100 have applied, but they’re a mix of Democratic and unaffiliated applicants, he said.

The requirements to be an election judge are light. An applicant must be:

• A registered voter in Maryland
• At least 16 years old (with parental permission)
• Able to speak, read and write English
• And able to work a 15-hour shift on Election Day

Election judges check voters in, assist with voting technology and ensure election laws are being followed.

To apply, interested voters can go to https://www.aacounty.org/elections/election-judge or email electionjudges@aacounty.org.