When it comes to running the polls, there are many moving parts and roles. There are the election officials such as county clerks, county supervisors, county auditors, board of elections or election commissions. However, there are people called poll watchers who are in charge of making sure all procedures are followed.
In Alachua County, two poll watchers, a nominee for the Republican National Committee and a Democratic Executive Committee nominee, say their roles can be misunderstood.
“They expect poll watchers are going to watch me fill in my ballot and see who I'm voting for,” said Craig Anderson, RNC nominated poll watcher. “No, it's about the election procedure and making sure that the workers and the staff are following their roles properly, not making sure of who votes how.”
Diane Dimperio is the DEC nominee. She said she’s been a poll watcher for years. She also agrees there are often misconceptions about her role.
“They might think since I’m coming as you know a representative of the democratic party that I’m trying to do something to help democratic voters,” Dimperio said.
According to Florida statutes, poll watchers “may not speak to or otherwise interact with voters inside the polling room, nor provide help to a voter in any way with the voting of his/her ballot.”
Poll watchers' job is to have another set of eyes of the procedure being followed at polling locations. Some of these responsibilities include the voter check-in process, confirming the amount of the audit machines and managing the conduct of voters and elections officials.
Poll watchers go through a training process through the individual party they represent. Anderson says if during a poll watching shift, a bad line is detected, the watcher will take note and scan it through the audit machine. Watchers will then report their findings to the committees they represent.
“Even though I'm a partisan, the activity itself is nonpartisan because I have no idea when people walk in, I have no idea if they are democrats or republicans,” says Dimperio.
Poll watchers are simply volunteers looking to participate in the bigger picture of democracy.
“It’s important to be watching because we want a fair, open and transparent election,” says Anderson. “That’s what the American people deserve and that’s what we’re going to have to get if we want trust in our elections.”