How Do I Be A Poll Watcher?

Hi!!! I did that in the 2000 election, you have to go to your party headquarters and get a list of voters whom you are to call to make sure they vote. Don't worry, it's not hard and there are plenty of people there to answer your questions.

I've been volunteering at our local rep headquarters. Monday we'll have a meeting as to what we'll be doing on election day.
This is my first election volunteering, so I wouldn't know anything as to what poll watchers do, but I'm sure those at headquarters will be able to tell you what to do.

It's up to us the volunteers to help make a difference, I hope many people who say they support the president also take some time to help get out the vote.

I just left our local GOP HQ. I was putting together packets for the poll watchers in our area. You should definitely try to be a poll watcher if you have the time. There is always a need for them because a lot of people have to work that day.

The most important thing though, if you plan to do this is you gotta get in there tomorrow morning, (believe me, your local GOP will be working tomorrow morning), and let them know because they are prolly finalizing who will be poll watching this weekend and Monday.

By the way, this is my first post in 4 years, lol. My last post was in 2000 to plan out going to Joe Liberman's house in Connecticut to protest his assertion that Republicans shouldn't protest, hehe.

Have fun and keep the faith.

Hi, gnu! If you're not the precinct person, secure a list
of registered voters for your precinct.(I like to check the list against the phone book myself - just in case). You stand at the entrance as they file in, checking each one out against your list, marking it as you go. Easy, fun, and you get to meet everyone in your precinct, too. Good luck, and thank you for your time and effort.

I dunno, but here's one you can practice watching...

Tag line: "If we win we win. If we lose we get to make fun of Kerry for 4 years".

What an optimist!

I was a poll watcher a few years ago and the above is correct. You can make phone calls ahead of time to your list of registered voters in your precinct finding out if they will need a ride or encouraging them to come out and vote. This list you should get from the republican party. Do not let other individuals at the polls look at this list as it is not official!! And it's nobody's biz either.

You either stand at the door or sit near the clerks. As the people come in, you check them off the list. This is not the same as when the clerks ask them their address, and have them sign the voter list they have. That's the official list. Try not to be intrusive. Most people have no clue why people are really there asking them questions and I've found some don't want to give you the information if you aren't a clerk.

Make sure you have your official paper stating you are a poll watcher w/ you at all times, because the person in charge (poll inspector---can be either Democrat or Republican) may want to know why you are hanging around. These are very busy individuals as they are making sure everything is working well, they must tabulate the absentee ballots sent to the polling place within the voting time or they don't count! So if there is a mistake in where it's suppose to be, that's a big problem. Also, machines can cause a problem. My understanding is that you have a right to be there before the polls open and after they close unless you are getting in the way somehow. I used to also listen for the count for some elections I might've been helping in; The judges will call out the machine's column/row for each party and the clerks write it down in the official lists. Then they match it w/ the ## of people who voted (signed). I'd listen for particular races to see how they fared in my precinct.

In our county, Poll watchers normally do not get paid; but clerks, judges, sheriffs get a certain amount and inspectors get about $10-$20 higher than those. Last time I had to assign an inspector, they got about $90 for the day.

I used to be a precinct committeeman as well and that job has a lot to do w/ making sure you get people to mann the polls. I also used to go around my precinct and put out a flier showing the voting times, place, etc. It made me sad to see some people come out to vote and find out that since they ONLY VOTE in presidential elections, the polling place moved down the road since then and they decided to go home because it was too much of an inconvenience for them (PUH_LEEZE!!) to drive 1-2 miles to the fire station instead of the school.
OKAY, SO THESE MUST BE THOSE DIS-ENFRANCHISED VOTERS WE HEAR ABOUT. TELLS ME THAT VOTING IS NOT SO IMPORTANT BUT EVERY 4 YEARS.
As a poll watcher (in my county), you CAN come and go from the polling place if you need to. (I had to p/u my kids from school, etc.) If you are a poll worker, you CANNOT leave until after voting is tabulated. So the older ladies (both Dems and Repubs) potluck it.

It's a long, hard day, but worthwhile. There are many older men and women who will not be there in the future to mann the polls like they have. We need to get involved! I've found that few people get involved but these are the ones making the difference. Thanks for getting involved and making for continued free and fair election!

We have no need for FOREIGNERS watching our elections!!
DuoDamsel
PS. If the Inspector has any ??, they usually call the county election board. So, if you KNOW you have a right to be there watching only and someone hassles you, call the election board to confirm. I had to one time. I believe they have the final say.