Chapter 12   The Central Counting Facility

Up until this point, we recommended to poll watchers that they report all challenges to their poll watcher team for follow-up.

Win, lose, or draw on a challenge, we asked the poll watcher to accept the ruling, send in a report, and continue on.

That ends here.

1. Reporting

As we said, the two most important things you are looking for at the Central Counting Facility are:
1. The vote count in the morning matches the vote count from the night before.
2. Every ballot enters the central county facility in a sealed envelope or container.

If the count is off or if lose ballots enter the central counting facility, then immediately call the State's Attorney's Office for your county.

The poll watcher team will give the number to you or you can the number up before you go to the Central Counting Facility.

Only then report it to the poll watcher team [poll watcher]/central party committee [observer] for follow-up with the State Board of Elections and, possibly, the State Attorney General.

The reason we ask that you make this call is because these two violations are time sensitive.

2. Other Than That, Mrs. Lincoln...

Poll watching at the Central Counting Facility is much like poll watching after the polls close on election night.

You don't touch anything. You sit where you can see everything. You stay out of everyone's way.