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I'm a volunteer poll watcher here at our rural precinct. We arent' paid, but I'll gladly do it. The trainer said that just the IDEA that someone is looking over their shoulders gives the poll "workers" and people who want to do anything funny something to think about.

One scheme here locally is for a husband/wife to come to the counter, one is registered at this location, and one at another. They will express confusion and insist that they are both registered at THIS location, and the poll worker will call down to the probate office and get an okay for both of them to vote at the first location. Then they leave, and try the same thing at the location where the other is registered.

The trainer said that just the IDEA that someone is looking over their shoulders gives the poll "workers" and people who want to do anything funny something to think about.

I agree with you. I was involved in an election years and years ago that was stolen, by the polling workers at one site. The voting machines (close the curtain and flip switch type) have a digital read out on the back. Not who has been voted for, but how many votes have been cast. At 6pm 1000 votes had been cast (we checked) by 7 pm 2500 had been cast and we got killed in that precinct. Registar looked funny etc. Someone evidently just stepped in and went click click click click click.. etc. We didn't take it to court because of associated costs... but we thumped them the next election. And we had people at the polls all day with pad and pencil watching and writing everything down.

And ... I have poll watched for others as well. It is an important piece of the puzzle.