What to know about poll watchers

(NewsNation) — Thousands of poll watchers will be observing the election process this November in an effort to catch any irregularities.

These volunteers have long served an integral role as the eyes and ears for political parties to ensure that the actual mechanics of voting are administered fairly and accurately.  

In the years since former President Donald Trump made unfounded claims of election fraud in 2020, the Republican National Committee has said that it hopes to recruit 100,000 poll watchers in 13 states this year.

The party said it will deploy monitors to observe every step of the election process, create hotlines for poll watchers to report perceived problems and escalate those issues by taking legal action.

Both parties have a long history of organizing supporters to serve as poll monitors, and the Democratic National Committee said it plans its own volunteer recruitment effort. Several election officials in presidential swing states said they feel this kind of transparency and engagement is one of the best ways to help skeptics feel confident in the many safeguards baked into the election process.

Research shows that fraud is very rare, voter impersonation is virtually nonexistent, and many instances of alleged fraud are, in fact, mistakes by voters or administrators, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan institute at the New York University School of Law.

What do poll watchers report? 

Watchers are appointed by political parties, candidates or ballot issue groups to observe some portion of the election process without interfering in the voting process, according to the Election Assistance Commission. 

They must go through a training program on election rules before manning polls.

Watcher duties vary under state law but largely include keeping track of voter turnout for their parties and making sure that the election rules are being followed.  

In some states, watchers are allowed to challenge an individual voter’s eligibility and report any potential issues. 

However, no states allow poll watchers to stop or otherwise try to interfere with someone trying to vote. They do their jobs by flagging issues for the current authorities, who will then look into the claims. 

Poll watchers have played an integral role in the election process. After the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, watchers were able to monitor elections to help realize the law’s promise of rooting out voting discrimination in places that still sought to suppress Black voters, according to the Brennan Center. 

Who can be a poll watcher? 

Qualifications vary by state, but poll watchers generally must be registered voters, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. 

In most states, political parties, candidates and ballot issue committees can appoint poll watchers. In some states, organizations and civic groups can also appoint poll watchers, according to the organization. 

States differ on whether the poll watcher must be registered in the county or precinct rather than just in the state. Several states exclude law enforcement officers from being poll watchers.

Many states also limit the number of poll watchers at a voting location to ensure the voting process is not disrupted and may be explicit about what a poll watcher may and may not do at a polling location.

When poll watchers become disruptive

While poll watchers are supposed to be silent observers they can and have run the risk of disruption.

Their access to spaces and records that are otherwise off-limits to the public creates a risk of abuse, according to the Brennan Center. 

Watchers can also cross the line with voter intimidation, harassment of election workers, the spread of disinformation and coordinated efforts to undermine elections, the group said. 

During Texas’s 2020 elections, a poll watcher accused a voter of not looking like a U.S. citizen and demanded to see their ID, the Brennan Center reported. 

In Arizona’s Pima County’s early voting period in 2022, watchers complained loudly about “fraudulent elections” and repeatedly tried to view private voter data, according to Time. 

Election workers in Wayne County, North Carolina, had to move watchers who stood between voters and voting machines in 2022. 

“You need to back off!” Anne Risku, the election director in North Carolina’s Wayne County, told a poll watcher who wedged herself between a voter and the machine.

While there have been concerns about strengthening guardrails for poll watchers, several states have moved in the opposite direction.  

Florida and North Carolina recently changed their laws to grant watchers additional access. The Florida law has already led to an increase in watchers and subsequent challenges to voter eligibility.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.