POLL WATCHING: ILLEGAL OR LEGAL

As claims of a fraudulent election spread across the country, observing voting and ballot counting became a hot topic in the 2020 election. But, what is poll watching and how is it different from voter intimidation?

Many of Trump’s complaints about the 2020 Election was his poll watchers’ lack of access to the polls. While his claims have since been proven wrong, his comments raised questions about the role of poll watchers in elections. 

Polls watching did not start as a regulation tactic, used to keep elections safe. It started as a form of intimidation. Groups like the KKK would stand outside the polls to intimidate and ultimately prevent minorities and women from voting. Voter intimidation can be anything from verbal threats to blocking the entrance. Several states, including California, have banned carrying guns around polling places, citing it as a form of voter suppression. 

Today, voter intimidation is punishable by crime, but voter watching is legal. All 50 states allow for some leave of poll observation. These poll watchers are normally sent or funded by campaigns or non-profit organizations. In some states poll watching is different than challenging a mistake in the counting and in some places the poll watcher is the one doing the challenging. Polls watchers are normally required to be registered voters, and in some states they have to go through a verification process with voting officials. Additionally, in most states, they are required to keep their distance to not disrupt the counting process. 

President Trump raised eyebrows not by telling people to be poll watchers, it was because he implied his supporters should intimidate voters at the polls. Luckily volunteers and election officials are working to ensure that support from both parties is held at bay at the polling sites. However, statements like these challenge the efficacy of the election, leading people to agree that the election is fraudulent.