What’s The Difference Between Poll Workers,
Poll Watchers, and
Poll Monitors?

Poll workers:

the election judges and election clerks.  They run the election at their assigned polling location.  Each polling location should have a mix of workers from both the county’s Democratic and Republican parties. 

• Presiding Judges and Alternate Judges- are appointed by the County Commissioner’s Court from lists submitted by the county’s Democratic and Republican Parties

• Election Clerks- each Presiding Judge appoints the Clerks for their polling location 

• Early Voting Officials- appointed by the County Clerk from lists submitted by the county’s Democratic and Republican parties

 

Poll watchers:

individuals affiliated with, and appointed by, any 

• political party, 

• candidate, or 

• issue campaign 

that appears on the current ballot. 

Poll watchers have a legal right to observe election activities inside polling places, but they also have a very problematic history of voter suppression and intimidation in Texas, especially when dealing with BIPOC communities.  All poll watchers must wear a nametag that clearly identifies them as a poll watcher at all times.

 

While both poll workers and poll watchers are inside polling locations during elections, they serve two different purposes and go through very different selection processes.

 

Poll Monitors:

non-partisan volunteers who are outside the 100 feet barrier

• Poll monitors are trained by our Election Protection Coalition to provide basic legal assistance to voters at the polls, direct voters to report issues or problems to the 866-OUR-VOTE hotline, and to look out for, and report, issues that are visible outside of polling locations (e.g.- long lines and late openings or early closings). 

• If you would like to become a poll monitor for upcoming elections, please click on this link: https://www.helptexasvote.org/