JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A “record number” of poll watchers from the Missouri Democratic Party are being deployed across the state on Election Day while Republicans are also seeing an increase in observers.
Leaders in both parties said they’ve sent more people to observe polls on Nov. 3 — an election that’s garnered much attention over concerns of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, changes in voting options, and fears that ballots won’t be counted.
Lauren Gepford, executive director of the Democratic Party, said Democrats have sent about 30 percent more people to aid in this election than in 2018.
“We’ve got a record number of poll observers from all of our records,” Gepford told The Missouri Times, adding they also have an increase in people providing additional legal help in other means like the hotline. “It’s one of the most important aspects of our campaign because it protects the fundamental right to vote, and in a state like Missouri, where the rules this year are confusing and we’re in a pandemic, we must do extra to ensure we’re protecting the right to vote.”
Poll observers are people who are credentialed to be inside the polling area and provide legal assistance or troubleshooting if a voter runs into an issue. For example, poll watchers can help or report instances of voters being turned away for lack of identification or if someone is not on the voter roll. Watchers are able to remain until all equipment is taken down, forms are completed, and election materials are returned to the property authorities. Watchers are also able to witness the counting and preparation of absentee ballots.
Poll watchers are allowed to be inside a polling place, per Missouri’s election laws. However, they must be appointed by a political party and have to be a registered voter in the jurisdiction of the election authority he or she is observing, according to state law.
Jean Evans, executive director of the Missouri GOP, said she wasn’t sure if poll watchers for her party had set a record but there was definitely an increase.
“We’ve had people from across the state reach out to watch polls to ensure the integrity of our elections and protect every Missourians’ vote,” Evans told The Missouri Times. “We’ve seen record breaking absentee voting as well as expected turnout this year. People are really excited to vote and get involved this year.”
As of Nov. 1, nearly 823,000 ballots had already been returned to local election authorities, according to the Secretary of State’s Office. About 60,000 mail-in ballots and 816,000 absentee ballots have been requested by Missourians this year.
In comparison, more than 2.8 million Missourians voted in the 2016 election. More than 282,000 absentee ballots were counted in that election.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
