IOWA, USA — Your polling location on Election Day can be a busy place: Iowans are casting their ballots, some are registering to vote for the first time and precinct election officials are helping to make sure it all runs smoothly.
But there's another group of people you may see watching you silently.
Given the nature of election transparency in the United States, people can go into any polling place to watch the process play out.
These people are known as poll watchers, and there are strict rules on who they can be and what they are allowed to do.
First, poll watchers must be appointed by a political party, a political organization or a candidate. Alternatively, people in support of or against a certain ballot measure can also apply to be a poll watcher.
Each group or measure gets to choose a certain number of poll watchers for each polling location.
Typically, political parties can receive up to three poll watchers each per polling place, while political organizations and candidates can have one poll watcher each.
In special elections and city/school elections, there can be up to three people representing ballot measures serving as poll watchers. However, this doesn't apply in a general election, like the one on Nov. 8.
Once inside the polling place, there's not much the poll watchers can do.
While they are allowed to look at voter rosters and write down names of people who have and have not voted, they can't handle the rosters themselves.
Poll watchers can challenge a voter's qualifications, but they can't inspect documents a voter has to establish identity, and they can't encourage them to cast provisional ballots.
And while they can report perceived problems to the county auditor, they must do so in writing using a form from the Secretary of State.
What's more, poll watchers can't argue with precinct election officials, voters or other poll watchers.
They can't even talk to a voter in line or while that voter is approaching a polling place.
So while you prepare to vote on Nov. 8, don't be surprised to find other Iowans watching the election process play out.
And know they are there in support of whatever party, candidate or organization put them there.
Stay with Local 5 on Election Day to see election results from across Iowa. Visit https://www.weareiowa.com/elections to see all results.