What is a poll watcher?
What is a poll watcher (poll monitor)?
A poll watcher is a person who observes an election taking place. They are usually appointed by political candidates or parties.
States have different laws about who can be a poll watcher, where they can come from, and what they can do.
Poll watchers are regulated because unethical poll watchers could be used to intimidate voters and discourage them from voting for the candidate of their choice.
Why do states allow poll watchers?
Poll watchers are meant to help campaigns feel confident that votes are counted correctly and any election problems are seen and reported. They can serve as one more way to ensure that elections are fair.
What can poll watchers do?
What poll watchers can do varies from state to state and there are current efforts to expand some of the powers of poll watchers in a handful of states.
Generally, poll watchers can observe how elections are conducted and report any irregularities in election procedure and vote counting that they see.
In most states, poll watchers can challenge the qualifications of a voter. Because they can do this, and because it can be used for nefarious purposes, it has the potential to become a form of voter intimidation.
Also in most states, poll watchers can count the number of voters and report who voted in their precinct to the campaign they represent. Because this also has the potential to become a form of voter intimidation, most states prevent audio and video recordings and pictures from being taken.
The National Association of Secretaries of State has a list, last updated January 2020, of what poll watchers can do and how they are appointed in each state.
What can’t poll watchers do?
Poll watchers cannot engage in voter intimidation. In most states, they cannot record audio or video and cannot take pictures of voters in polling places.
Is poll watching a form of voter intimidation?
Not when done properly. However, the role has the potential to be abused – which is why poll watchers are heavily regulated by states. There are laws concerning who can be appointed (and who does the appointing), what they are allowed to do, where they are allowed to be, and what they are forbidden from doing.
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