Observer Guide
The North Carolina General Statutes section 163-45 addresses the appointments and standards for the use of voting place Observers. The statute states:
The chairman of each party in the county shall have the right to designate two observers to attend each voting place.
Not more than two observers from the same party are permitted in the voting enclosure at any time.
Unaffiliated candidates named on the ballot or their campaign manager shall have the right to appoint two observers for each voting place.
The party chairman must submit in writing two signed lists of the names of the observers for each precinct to the chairman of the county board of elections, prior to 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, October 29th.
The qualifications of the observer are:
The observer must be a registered voter of the county for which they are appointed.
- The observer must have good moral character.
- The observer shall do no electioneering at the voting place.
- The observer shall not impede the voting process.
- The observer shall not interfere, communicate with or observe any voter in casting his ballot.
- The observers may be relieved after serving no less than four hours, provided that the list provided by the county chairman contains the name of the replacement persons.
- The observer shall not be permitted to videotape voters.
- The observer shall be permitted to take notes.
- The observer shall be permitted to request to see the authorization slips at no less than three times during the day with spacing not less than one hour apart.