Guidance Concerning Poll Watchers and Authorized Representatives

Overview

This page explains the role of poll watchers at polling places during the voting process.

Candidates and political parties may appoint registered voters to serve as poll watchers. A poll watcher can serve at a polling place in the county where they are registered to vote.

Who can be a poll watcher?

A poll watcher must :

Be registered to vote in the county where they are serving. The poll watcher does not have to live in the specific election district where they are serving.
Have received credentials from the county before serving.

Who can be at the polling place?

There are limits on how many poll watchers may serve at each polling place.

Each candidate may appoint up to two poll watchers for each election district where the candidate is on the ballot.
- Only one of those poll watchers may be inside the polling place at a time.
Each political party or political body with candidates on the ballot may appoint up to three poll watchers for each election district in a general, municipal, or special election.
- Only one poll watcher for each party or political body may be inside the polling place at a time.

Where may poll watchers be in the polling place?

Poll watchers must stay outside the enclosed voting area.
Poll watchers may be present from the time election officers meet before the polls open until all votes have been counted.
- Poll watchers may inspect voter lists only when no voters are present.
- The judge of elections, or another poll worker chosen by the judge, must supervise the inspection of these records.

What ARE poll watchers allowed to do at the polling place?

Poll watchers MAY:

Keep a list of voters.
Inspect a numbered voter list and the voting checklist. They may do this only when no voters are inside the polling place and the judge of elections or a chosen poll worker is supervising them.
Challenge a voter’s identity or address only when there is a valid reason. The poll watcher must make the challenge directly to the judge of elections.

What AREN’T poll watchers allowed to do at the polling place?

Poll watchers MAY NOT:

Challenge a voter based on race, national origin, appearance, last name, language, religion, or other protected characteristics.
Threaten, harass, intimidate, or try to influence voters. Voter intimidation is illegal under federal and Pennsylvania law.
- It is illegal to interfere with a person’s right to vote. This applies to inside and outside the polling place.
- Examples of prohibited conduct can be found in the Department’s Guidance on Voter Intimidation and Discriminatory Conduct.
Engage in election campaigning inside the polling place or within 10 feet of its entrance. Poll watchers may represent candidates, political parties, or political bodies, but they may not campaign for them in these areas. Campaigning includes:
- Asking people to vote for or against a candidate or party.
- Posting or displaying campaign signs or materials.
- Handing out flyers, pamphlets, or other campaign items.

Poll watchers also MAY NOT:

Write on, change, or damage official election records.
Look inside ballot boxes or review election records, except for the records listed under “What are poll watchers allowed to do at the polling place?”
Interfere with or disrupt the orderly voting process.

Challenges from poll watchers

Poll watchers may challenge whether a person is eligible to vote under the following rules:

Challenges must have a valid reason.
The poll watcher must make the challenge directly to the judge of elections.
Poll watchers cannot interfere with the voter. Poll watchers are not permitted to approach voters in the polling place.
Challenges cannot be based on race, national origin, appearance, surname, language, religion, or other characteristics not relevant to the voter’s eligibility.

After a poll watcher makes a challenge, the judge of elections determines if the challenge is based on evidence and there is a valid reason to believe the person is not eligible to vote.