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With Election Day less than a week away, some voters worry they could encounter more than just poll workers when they cast their ballots. Partisan poll watchers and federal election monitors, a number of whom will be sent to four Pennsylvania counties, may be among them. Meanwhile, rumors have circulated about federal immigration authorities patrolling polling places.
“What we want is to ensure every voter has the right to vote independently and without interference,” said Seth Bluestein, a Philadelphia City Commissioner who also sits on the city’s election board.
Here’s what Pennsylvania voters should know about who is allowed at polling places, how election officials are preparing and what to do if they encounter problems.
Political parties and candidates are allowed to appoint poll watchers, Bluestein said. Generally, these appointees must be registered voters who live in the county they’ll watch. Only one poll watcher from each party is permitted inside the polling place at any given time, and that individual must produce documentation proving their legitimacy when asked, according to guidance from the Pennsylvania Department of State, or PADOS.
Election monitors are appointed by the U.S. Department of Justice to ensure compliance with voting rights laws. On Nov. 3, federal monitors will “observe and take notes” in Philadelphia, Allegheny, Luzerne and Lehigh counties, according to a letter it sent to Pennsylvania officials
