Informed voters make for better voters, and Beaufort County elections officials believe informed poll observers make better poll observers.

To turn that belief into reality, the Beaufort County Board of Elections is prepared to train poll observers for the upcoming Nov. 8 general election, during which a large voter turnout is expected. Elections officials met last week with officials from the county’s Republican and Democratic parties to review voting and election procedures, including what poll observers can and cannot do, rules pertaining to absentee ballots and elections-related security issues.

Poll observers (also known as poll watchers) monitor activities at polling places for political parties, which appoint them. Each party’s chair must submit a list of that party’s observers to the local elections board at least five days before the election. The observers watch for errors or irregularities that could harm their party’s (or the public’s) interest. They are seated inside the polling place. They cannot interfere with the voting process or watch voters mark their ballots. What they observe could be relevant in a lawsuit or a complaint about voting- or election-related issues.

During last week’s meeting, several of the parties’ officials learned that each party can place a maximum of two observers at each polling place for a minimum of four hours each. That option is known as precinct-specific poll observation. The parties have the option of using up to 10 at-large poll observers who are allowed to move from polling place to polling place, according to Kellie Harris Hopkins, the county’s elections director.

“Instead of doing two at each precinct  — if you’ve only got 10 people that are willing to be observers — I would suggest to you to make them at-large observers rather than precinct specific,” Hopkins told the parties’ officials. “Then they can go from place to place.”

If a poll observer notices what he believes is an error or irregularity during the voting process, that observer can notify the chief judge at the polling place about his concern. “I’m not going to throw a fit if they talk to the (chief) judge. … These rules are in place when you have overzealous people that are in there trying to intimidate voters and intimidate the precinct workers,” Hopkins said.

Keith Kidwell, chairman of the Beaufort County Republican Party, addressed the intimidation factor.

“I’ll speak for the party on this one. If you observer any Republicans doing something they should not being doing, call (us) immediately and we’ll make sure it stops. I don’t care what it is,” Kidwell said. “If they’re crossing lines they should not cross, you call me and we’ll get it solved.” Kidwell said he does not want anything to impede the voting process or keep elections officials from doing their jobs.

As for training poll observers, Hopkins said her office is willing to provide that training. “If you wanted me to do a condensed course, I can do that,” she said.

Cathy Gaynor, chairwoman of the Beaufort County Democratic Party, and Kidwell embraced that offer.