In a troubling development ahead of the November 5 election, Republican poll watchers are being urged to adopt aggressive tactics during their monitoring efforts, raising significant concerns among election officials and voter rights advocates. During a recent Zoom training session led by local Republican Party chair Jim Womack in North Carolina, volunteers were instructed to be “assertive” and vigilant in spotting what Womack termed “nefarious activity.”
This call for heightened scrutiny comes amid fears that such aggressive monitoring could lead to voter intimidation and disrupt the electoral process. Womack, a 69-year-old Army veteran, reinforced his message by citing a local clergyman who brought Latino parishioners to a voting site, implying that their presence warranted closer examination.
Despite the fact that voter fraud is exceedingly rare in the United States—an analysis by the Associated Press found fewer than 475 cases of potential fraud across six contested battleground states—Republican officials continue to propagate unfounded fears. U.S. election security experts have deemed the 2020 election “the most secure in American history,” yet the narrative persists, driven by false claims of a “stolen” election.
Lee County officials have expressed serious concerns that the training provided by Womack’s North Carolina Election Integrity Team (NCEIT) could lead to disruptions at polling stations. They are implementing new safeguards to protect poll workers from potential intimidation. Womack insists that the NCEIT’s involvement is intended to support election integrity, viewing their presence as “additional eyes and ears.”
However, internal communications from NCEIT indicate a focus on spotting noncitizen voting—a largely unfounded concern that voting rights advocates fear will lead to targeting of minority voters. During planning calls, participants discussed how to identify “illegals,” raising alarms about potential discriminatory practices at polling locations.
Voting rights advocates warn that such rhetoric can sow confusion and undermine confidence in the election outcome, particularly if Democratic candidate Kamala Harris secures a victory. “The playbook seems to be to cast doubt, sow chaos at every possible opportunity,” said Tammy Patrick, a former election official.
The Democratic Party is mobilizing its own teams of observers to counteract potential disruptions, with plans to deploy thousands of volunteers across key states. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee claims to have trained tens of thousands of poll watchers to report suspected irregularities, maintaining that their efforts will be conducted within legal boundaries.
The situation in Lee County highlights the blurred lines between legitimate monitoring and intimidation. Womack’s dual role as a Republican Party chair raises questions about the potential for biased oversight. “All I want is to have a free and fair election and to be left alone,” stated Lee County Elections board Chairwoman Susan Feindel, expressing frustration over the heightened scrutiny.
With less than two weeks until the election, concerns about the aggressive tactics being employed by some Republican poll watchers are growing, echoing warnings from election experts about the potential for voter intimidation and disruption. As the nation prepares for a contentious election, the integrity of the voting process hangs in the balance.
