Virginia - Poll Watchers
Election integrity depends on every American’s vote being counted. To help in that process, many Americans choose to be election officials and poll watchers. If you're interested in volunteering as a poll watcher in Virginia, you must be an official representative of your party and have authorization with documentation prior to Election Day.
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To be a poll watcher, you must meet three requirements:
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You must be 18 years of age or older, and
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You must have legal US residence.
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You must register with your party before Election Day.
This position holds lots of responsibilities, so with them come legal requirements. There are strict voter intimidation laws that prohibit any form of voter intimidation.
Voter intimidation can include:
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Confronting voters at a polling place, inside or outside.
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Prohibiting Access to or Exit from a Polling Site
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Physical or Verbal Threats
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Using Offensive Language
Poll watching is an essential part of our transparent, democratic voting process. Poll watching, combined with other Virginia voting laws, has been protecting Virginia's elections for decades. In fact, Virginia's laws have been so secure that no election has ever been overturned.
