Young people make quick money working for election campaigns

AMMAN — With 1,252 candidates running for election to the Lower House, electoral campaigns offered unemployed young people a chance to earn some cash. 

Ranim, a university student who preferred not to give her full name, said she had made “good money” working on a candidate’s campaign.  

“This was not the first time I worked on electoral media campaigns. I also worked in the 2013 elections,” she told The Jordan Times, describing the campaign as “a good opportunity for quick money”. 

Rafat, a young jobseeker, said he had made hundreds of dinars in recent weeks working for a candidate. 

He was hired to put up adverts and posters on the streets of Amman, and to serve guests at the candidate’s campaign headquarters, he said. 

Mohammed Gilani, a young resident of Amman, said he earned JD25 for a day’s work distributing campaign flyers, and received three meals.  

The 18-year-old said it was his first time working for an electoral campaign, and that his wages covered his expenses for the day. 

Meanwhile, Khaled Abu Adas took advantage of election day to sell cakes, sandwiches and water outside a polling station, where demand was “very high”. 

“Selling outside polling stations on election day is different from any other time and any other place, because sales are much higher,” he said.