More sets of eyes may be monitoring the voting process in Bartholomew County during the Nov. 3 presidential election than in prior elections, with the local Democratic and Republican parties receiving requests from residents who want to be poll watchers.
Poll watchers are individuals appointed by political parties or, in certain cases, candidates or county election boards to observe the voting process, promote transparency and can alert campaigns and parties of perceived irregularities.
Though poll watchers have long been part of American elections, including in Bartholomew County, they have received increased national attention in recent days after President Donald Trump urged his supporters during the Sept. 29 presidential debate with Democrat Joe Biden “to go into the polls and watch very carefully.”
The president’s comments have raised concerns among Democrats of potential voter intimidation, according to The Associated Press. Republicans, however, have rejected those concerns, saying they are focused on preventing the fraud they have long maintained, without evidence, is rampant in U.S. elections.
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The end result of the increased national spotlight has been one of multiple contributing factors to an uptick in people interested in serving as poll watchers in Bartholomew County, according to local party leaders.
Poll watching in Bartholomew County has typically been done by members of the local Democratic and Republican Party central committees, which includes party chairs, vice-chairs, treasurers and secretaries who might visit a polling location for about a half-hour to observe before moving on to another voting site, said Bartholomew County Clerk Jay Phelps.
This election, however, things may be a little different.
“We’re probably going to have a lot more watchers for this election than we ever have in previous elections,” Phelps said. “…Having poll watchers there just kind of observing will add another layer of security and a feeling that there’s accountability and transparency.”
Democratic response
The Bartholomew County Democratic Party plans to have poll watchers at all 12 vote centers in the county on Election Day, local party chair Steve Schoettmer said.
A group of local women on Facebook called “Nasty Women of Bartholomew County,” have asked to serve as poll watchers for the Democratic Party on Election Day, Schoettmer said.
The group, which was formed on Sept. 11 as a local chapter of a statewide group of the same name, has almost 500 members and is a place for anyone who identifies as a woman, including nonbinary individuals, to collaborate and share information about "opportunities" and events connected to the elections, said Cindy Allen-Stuckey, “county captain” of Nasty Women of Bartholomew County.
Schoettmer said the watchers will not be assigned to a specific polling site and can “weave around” to different vote centers over the course of Election Day.
“We’ve always had poll watchers,” Schoettmer said. “…But this is the first year where we’ve had people come forward (to volunteer).”
Schoettmer said he is not concerned about potential voter intimidation in Bartholomew County.
Allen-Stuckey said she is one of at least four members of the group who have volunteered to be poll watchers so far.
“I can speak for myself. I assume this is where the other ladies are coming from, but I can’t guarantee that. I just want to make sure that no one is turned away or intimidated. We want there to be a fair election on all sides,” Allen-Stuckey said. “…This is really the first year that I’ve ever been involved in politics, I mean, I always vote, but there’s just so much divide right now and just a lot of hatred out there.”
For the Republicans
On the Republican side, local party chair Barb Hackman has done something that she said she has never done before in her 10 years leading the local GOP – authorize an individual outside of the party’s central committee to be a poll watcher.
The individual, Thomas Mayer, has been issued a credential by the local Republican Party, Phelps said.
Hackman said she was not surprised to receive the request given the president’s recent comments.
“I really wasn’t surprised,” Hackman said. “I think President Trump had mentioned something about maybe having poll watchers because of the controversy of this election, the importance of it, just making sure that it is done properly. …I don’t think we really ever have any of those issues in Bartholomew County.”
Hackman was expected to pick up Mayer’s credential, as well as the credentials of local GOP’s central committee members, on Friday, Phelps said.
Mayer did not respond by press time to requests from The Republic seeking comment. County election staff said Mayer did not list a phone number on his voter registration.
What is allowed?
Monitoring the voting process at polling places is allowed in most states, but rules vary and it’s not a free-for-all, according to reporting from The Associated Press.
State rules differ on who can be a poll watcher, how many are allowed at polling places or local elections offices, and how they must conduct themselves inside the office or voting location.
States have established rules, in part, to avoid any hint that observers will harass or intimidate voters.
In Indiana, each major political party – Democratic, Libertarian and Republican – can appoint poll watchers, Phelps said.
A total of two poll watchers per party – one authorized by the local party chair and another authorized by the state party chair – can be at each vote center in Bartholomew County.
No party can have more than two watchers at a vote center at any time. All watchers must be registered to vote in Bartholomew County, carry credentials signed by the county chairman or state chairman of the watcher’s party and cannot be candidates.
What poll watchers can do
Poll watchers in Indiana are permitted to enter a polling place 30 minutes before the polls open and remain there until all votes have been cast, Phelps said.
They also can receive a copy of the vote totals, inspect the work of poll workers, as well as voting equipment before the polls open.
More specifically, poll watchers can look at the electronic voting machines and zero-proof tapes to make sure no votes had been recorded on them before the polls open, confirm that the electronic poll pads say “2020 general election” and that “everything looks normal on there,” Phelps said.
“Basically, then they’ll just stand back and watch and make sure there is nothing out of the ordinary for voting,” Phelps said.
What poll watchers can’t do
However, poll watchers are prohibited from disrupting election procedures, requesting or handling a voter’s photo ID, interfering with election officials or voters, handling election supplies or attempting to influence voters, according to the Indiana Secretary of State’s Office.
Showing up a polling site demanding to monitor the election without proper credentials is a Class A misdemeanor in Indiana, which is punishable with up to $5,000 in fines and 1 year in jail.
“The bottom line is not anyone can just walk off the street and be a poll watcher. There is a process,” Phelps said.
"Anyone who wants to be a poll watcher and is appointed by a party, you have to have credentials. The poll workers have been trained to look for those credentials and make sure that they have their proper signatures.”
— The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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Only certain individuals are allowed inside polling places:
- the inspector, judge and poll clerks
- a voter only for purposes of voting
- minor children accompanying voters
- a person assisting a voter
- news media with proper credentials
- poll watchers
- a member of the county election board
- a machine mechanic that has been authorized by the county election board with proper credentials
- county chairman or a vice-chairman of a political party with proper credentials from County Election Board
- the Indiana secretary of state.
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To learn more about election procedures, look up your ballot or check your voter registration, visit indianavoters.in.gov.
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