Registered voters have the right to cast ballots as long as their names are in poll books.

But virtually anyone - voters who are lawfully in the polling place, local election officials, poll watchers and overseers - may challenge a person's right to vote.However, such challenges are limited to identity and residency, Schuylkill County election chief Frannie Brennan said Wednesday.In other words, a voter may be challenged by someone who has grounds to believe the voter is not the person they say they are, or that the voter does not live in the voting precinct.The issue of people challenging voters has surfaced recently as Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has been calling for supporters to keep watch for fraud at polling places on Tuesday.Trump provides a link on his website for people to sign up to be volunteer "election observers."Although Trump's name didn't come up at a Schuylkill County commissioners' public meeting Wednesday, county election chief Frannie Brennan addressed the issue via a press release read aloud by Commissioners' Chairman George F. Halcovage Jr.The Pennsylvania Department of State has clear rules governing poll watchers."Every voter should be aware of their rights at the polling place and should know what to do if they feel intimidated or harassed in any way," said Department of State Press Secretary Wanda Murren.The state voter guide, which can be found at

everyone.votespa.com, says "any behavior that is intended to, or has the effect of, interfering with an eligible voter's right to vote, constitutes intimidation, should not be tolerated and should be reported.""Overly aggressive or baseless challenges, and other aggressive behavior at the polling place falls into this category," Murren said.A "voter's eligibility to register to vote is not a permissible challenge at the polls. The laws governing voter registration include a process for such challenges and that process occurs before the election," according to Brennan.The judge of election has the obligation to determine if a challenge rests on a good faith basis. He or she must not permit routine or frivolous challenges that are not supported with a stated good faith basis."If the judge of election cannot determine in good faith the residency or identity of the voter, the voter shall be permitted to bring another voter from the precinct to sign an affidavit vouching for the challenged voter's identity or residence. Once the procedure is followed, the voter must be permitted to vote normally.A challenged voter who is unable or unwilling to find a witness to vouch for him or her must be given a provisional ballot," the release states.Each precinct's judge of election and majority and minority inspectors have the responsibility of determining the qualifications of people presenting themselves to vote. In the event of a disagreement, the judge of election decides.Also on Wednesday, Brennan said poll workers will not give voters paper ballots if they ask for them on Nov. 8."It has come to the (election) board's attention that misinformation is circulating that if a voter does not wish to use the voting machines, the voter has the legal right to request and utilize a paper ballot. The casting of paper ballots on Election Day in Schuylkill County is expressly prohibited by the Pennsylvania Election Code. It is not a lawful and authorized method of voting," Brennan said.Brennan said the county's voting machines have been examined and certified to federal and state standards. Those standards include an audit capability.