Poll watchers have been flagged for violating federal, state guidelines in past three Mississippi elections
In Mississippi, the Republican and Democratic parties are organizing hundreds of volunteers to engage in poll watching to monitor the nation’s electoral process as it unfolds on Nov. 5.
Poll watching, which began in the United States in the late 18th century, is the act of monitoring a polling location to ensure no voter fraud or illegal voting activities take place. Both parties engage in the practice to watch the polls, and in some cases, watch each other, several sources told the Clarion Ledger.
While the activity’s political origin is steeped in the idea to protect voting, the practice has been scrutinized as a gateway to voter intimidation while also being used to ensure minorities are not kept from the polls. As recently as this year, watchers have violated state and federal law at the polls in Mississippi.
Mississippi Republican Party Chair Mike Hurst and Mississippi Democratic Party Executive Director Mikel Bolden both told the Clarion Ledger the parties are amping up the number of watchers at polling locations throughout the state.
Hurst said voter fraud and bad behavior from voters in recent election cycles have spurred the party’s interest in keeping a closer eye on the polls this year.
“We want to obviously increase what we’ve done in the past, because right now, as we all know, election integrity is so important,” Hurst said. “We want everyone’s vote to matter, everyone’s vote to count, and we need to ensure that our elections are safe and that they’re secure.”
Bolden, who became Democratic Party executive director in July, said issues revolving around polling locations for the last four years has caused the party to double down on efforts to organize poll watchers. She also agreed with Hurst that the practice is a useful tool to ensure fair and honest elections.
“Poll watching itself is important just to make sure that no matter what party people are, everyone is represented within the election, and just to watch and be able to stop any issues that may occur right away,” Bolden said.
Both parties are seeking to have several poll watchers at individual voting precinct in key areas such as the Jackson-Metro area, the Delta and other battleground regions of the state. They also plan to have poll watchers throughout the state, but are more likely to have between one and four for less rivalrous counties, Bolden said.
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Over the past four years, conservative groups have challenged the results of the 2020 election, including former President Donald Trump. Those doubts eventually evolved into an insurrection at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, while the U.S. Congress was voting to confirm the election. Trump is currently facing charges for his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot following a rally held in Washington, D.C., on the same day.
History of poll watching
According to historical records studied by the Brennan Center for Justice, poll watching began in the 18th century. Through the years, the act has been given both federal and state guidelines codified into law to prevent voter intimidation and suppression.
According to research by the Brennan Center for Justice, poll watching has a deep history of watchers harassing and intimidating, inappropriately surveilling, threatening and violating voter intimidation law.
As recently as 2022, the center identified several instances of poll watchers intimidating voters such as when a poll watcher in Texas in 2020 accused a voter of not looking like a U.S. citizen and demanded an Identification card and in 2022 in Arizona when watchers complained the election was fraudulent and tried to illegally view private voter data.
Hinds County Republican Party Chair Pete Perry, who has been a poll watcher on occasion since 1975, said he has never directly seen poll watchers breaking the law, but there are more than a few he has known who didn’t follow federal or state guidelines.
“Now on the other side, a lot of people have gone to be poll watchers but have never been trained, and they think they know what the law ought to be,” Perry said.
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In the 2020, 2023 and so far during the 2024 Mississippi elections cycles the Mississippi Secretary of State’s Office said people called reporting poll watchers violating state and federal laws. The office declined to disclose exactly how many or the exact nature of those reports.
“For all the benefits poll watchers can provide, their access to spaces and records that are otherwise off limits to the public creates a risk of abuse. Additional concerns include voter intimidation, harassment of election workers, the spread of disinformation, and coordinated efforts to undermine elections,” The 2024 Brennan Center for Justice study states.
What are the rules of poll watching? How do I become a poll watcher?
When it comes to federal and state laws about poll watching, the rules are actually quite simple.
As for how you become a poll watcher and what you can do:
In Mississippi, political candidates or parties can have two poll watchers at any given voting precinct where the candidate’s name appears on a ballot. Official poll watchers must be authorized to watch by political parties or candidates.Poll watchers are allowed to be in a place where they can easily and comfortably observe the voting process overseen by poll workers.Poll workers can challenge the qualifications of a voter or absentee voter, as well as the ballots.
What poll watchers cannot do:
Watchers cannot be present at polling locations during primaries or special elections.Poll watchers are not allowed to be present during ballot initiative votes.Poll watchers may not speak to voters or physically touch a ballot.View or photograph pollbooks at a voting precinct.Move about the precinct to speak to voters.Cannot intimidate voters or harass them in any way.Cannot campaign inside or within 150 feet of the polling location.
If a poll watcher breaks those guidelines to the extent it is deemed as voter intimidation or handling of ballots, per state law, they can face up to $1,000 in fines, up to a year in a county jail or both.
Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.
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Publish date : 2024-09-19 22:05:00
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