Poll watchers: More eyes on voting process
What watchers can and cannot do at polls
While thousands of voters in the region have already cast ballots, even more are expected to vote in person Tuesday in the what might be the highest turnout for any presidential election.
Voters can expect to encounter poll watchers, who offer support to voters in several ways.
Ron Seaman, chief administrative officer of Berks County Election Services, explained the process of choosing poll watchers and how it differs for parties and candidates.
“Parties are allowed to have three watchers appointed to any district in which they have candidates on a ballot, and candidates are allowed to appoint two watchers to any place where they are on a ballot,” said Seaman.
It is important to note that only poll watchers for candidates can be inside the polls at any given time, Seaman said.
The parties must complete a poll watchers appointment form and submit it to the elections office.
After that, the office issues a certificate that lists the appointee’s name, political party and area they are serving, Seaman said.
Poll watchers are required to produce their certification upon request to election officers to ensure they have completed the proper measures.
For Berks County Democratic Party Chairman Kevin Boughter, choosing poll watchers during this election season came with new challenges.
“I open it to volunteers, but this year is a little tougher than normal because of COVID-19,” he said. “There are not only health concerns. Not everyone has the ability to spend their entire day at the polls, usually before 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.”
In order to accommodate poll watchers, Boughter is working with them to create shifts, allowing them to participate even if it’s not for the entire day.
For Boughter the goal for having poll watchers is to ensure that everyone who wants to vote has the ability to do so, he added.
In Montgomery County, 2,368 poll watchers have signed up representing requests from both parties, said Lee Soltysiak, Montgomery County’s chief operating officer.
Soltysiak stated that is an increase from previous election years.
Poll watchers will:
• Remain a safe and respectful distance away from the space where voting is happening.
• Keep a list of voters.
• Make good faith challenges to a voter’s identity, continued residence in the district or qualifications as an eligible voter. They should direct challenges directly to the judge of elections. The judge of elections has the obligation to determine if the challenge is based on actual evidence and if there is a good faith basis to believe the person is not or may not be a qualified voter.
Poll watchers won’t:
• Engage, attempt to influence or intimidate voters or otherwise interfere with or impinge on the orderly process of voting. Voter intimidation and threatening conduct are illegal under federal and Pennsylvania law.
• Photograph or record voters.
• Disseminate false or misleading election information to voters.
• Block the entrance to a polling place.
• Confront, hover or directly speak to or question voters.
• Engage in electioneering while inside the polling place or within 10 feet of the entrance to the polling place.