Pennsylvania Statutes § 2687 Appointment of watchers

Statute Text

(a) Each candidate for nomination or election at any election shall be entitled to appoint two watchers for each election district in which such candidate is voted for. Each political party and each political body which has nominated candidates in accordance with the provisions of this act, shall be entitled to appoint three watchers at any general, municipal or special election for each election district in which the candidates of such party or political body are to be voted for. Such watchers shall serve without expense to the county.

(b) Each watcher so appointed must be a qualified registered elector of the county in which the election district for which the watcher was appointed is located. Each watcher so appointed shall be authorized to serve in the election district for which the watcher was appointed and, when the watcher is not serving in the election district for which the watcher was appointed, in any other election district in the county in which the watcher is a qualified registered elector: Provided, That only one watcher for each candidate at primaries, or for each party or political body at general, municipal or special elections, shall be present in the polling place at any one time from the time that the election officers meet prior to the opening of the polls under section 1208 until the time that the counting of votes is complete and the district register and voting check list is locked and sealed, and all watchers in the room shall remain outside the enclosed space. It shall not be a requirement that a watcher be a resident of the election district for which the watcher is appointed. After the close of the polls and while the ballots are being counted or voting machine canvassed, all the watchers shall be permitted to be in the polling place outside the enclosed space. Each watcher shall be provided with a certificate from the county board of elections, stating his name and the name of the candidate, party or political body he represents. Watchers shall be required to show their certificates when requested to do so. Watchers allowed in the polling place under the provisions of this act, shall be permitted to keep a list of voters and shall be entitled to challenge any person making application to vote and to require proof of his qualifications, as provided by this act. During those intervals when voters are not present in the polling place either voting or waiting to vote, the judge of elections shall permit watchers, upon request, to inspect the voting check list and either of the two numbered lists of voters maintained by the county board: Provided, That the watcher shall not mark upon or alter these official election records. The judge of elections shall supervise or delegate the inspection of any requested documents.

(c) No candidate or committee of a political party or of a political body, nor any other person or persons shall pay to any watcher compensation in excess of one hundred twenty ($120.00) dollars per diem.

(d) A watcher whose watcher's certificate is destroyed or lost on election day may appear before the court of common pleas under section 1206 and, after swearing under oath or affirmation that the watcher's certificate was destroyed or lost, may immediately receive a replacement watcher's certificate issued by the court.

History

1937, June 3, P.L. 1333, art. IV, § 417. Amended 1947, June 28, P.L. 1054, § 1; 1963, Aug. 1, P.L. 434, § 1; 1963, Aug. 14, P.L. 1048, § 1; 1980 , July 12, P.L. 649, No. 134 , § 1 , imd. effective; 2002, May 16, P.L. 310, No. 44, § 1, imd. effective; 2004, Oct. 8, P.L. 807, No. 97, § 2.1, imd. effective.

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