§ 8-500. Watchers; provision for. 1. At any general, special, town or\nvillage election, any party committee, any independent body whose\ncandidates are upon the ballot, and any political committee supporting\nor opposing a ballot proposal may have for each election district three\nwatchers at any one time, not more than one of whom may be within the\nguard rail at any one time. Watchers shall be appointed by the chair or\nother officer of any such party committee, independent body or political\ncommittee.\n 2. At any primary election, any party committee and any candidate on\nthe ballot may have for each election district three watchers at any one\ntime, not more than one of whom may be within the guard rail at any one\ntime. Watchers shall be appointed by the chair or other officer of any\nsuch party committee or by any candidate.\n 3. Watchers may be present at the polling place at least fifteen\nminutes before the unlocking and examination of any voting machine or\nballot box at the opening of the polls, until after the signing of the\ninspectors' returns and proclamation of the result.\n 4. The appointment of watchers for any election shall be by a\ncertificate in writing issued by the appointing authority. Such\ncertificate shall be delivered to an inspector at the election district.\n 5. Each watcher must be a qualified voter of the city or county in\nwhich he or she is to serve; provided, however, a qualified voter who is\na New York state resident and is licensed to practice law therein may\nserve as a watcher at any polling place. No person shall be appointed or\nact as a watcher who is a candidate for any public office to be voted\nfor by the voters of the election district in the same election in which\nthe watcher is to serve. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed\nas prohibiting any such candidate from visiting a polling place in such\ndistrict on an election day while the polls are open.\n
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