OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – For the first time, there are a large number of people overseeing the voting process.

Douglas County election officials tell 6 News there have never been as many poll watchers as there are in 2024.

“We estimate that we have, between Republicans, Democrats and Civic Nebraska, somewhere in the neighborhood of 700-800 poll watchers who will be doing various shifts throughout the day,” said county Elections Commissioner Brian Kruse.

Kruse says the Republican Party has the largest share of poll watchers this year, with 500 in Douglas County. Cherryl Longacre one of them, watching over the Sons of Italy compound.

“We’re making sure everyone’s IDs are checked, making sure people don’t gather at the same tables, making sure they’re sleeving their ballots before they put them in the ballot box,” Longacre said. “Anything suspicious.”

Longacre says he noticed a time when the survey workers did not have enough sleeves.

“They were allowing people to take their ballots to the table sleeveless,” Longacre said. “This should never have happened. He should have made them wait.”

She also says she saw a voter wearing a shirt with a political candidate’s name on it. She didn’t tell us what name was on the shirt.

“You shouldn’t wear accessories,” she said. “I saw a shirt come in and the lady, I think she came in with her coat zipped up and then she took it off when she was filling out her ballot.”

Kruse points out that poll watchers are at the polls to do just that — watch.

“I’m not there to interfere or interact with poll workers or voters,” Kruse said. “They see something going on, they need to report it to their organization or our office and we’ll take it from there.”

6 News spoke with Longacre after her poll-watching shift ended, but was unable to speak with a Democratic poll watcher because that person’s shift had not ended. 6 News was told by an official that poll watchers are not allowed to talk to the media while watching the polls.

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