In Tuesday’s presidential debate, Donald Trump called on his supporters to take it upon themselves to monitor the polls during an election. Elections experts in North Carolina said that could amount to voter suppression and intimidation.

Sara Knotts, Director of the Brunswick County Board of Elections, said she has already had several calls from people in her community concerned about the safety of going to the polls.

“I’m trying to calm those fears,” Knotts told Spectrum News 1.

North Carolina has very clear rules for political parties to observe elections from inside polling places. Political parties are allowed to have observers inside polling places, but what they can and can’t do is laid out by state election law.

But, Knotts said, people are allowed to stand outside polling places during early voting and on Election Day.

“People are not allowed to block the entrance to the polling places or stop you from going in,” she said.

State law says county political parties can each appoint two representatives to monitor polling sites during early one-stop voting and on Election Day. County and state party chairs can appoint additional at-large observers to monitor polling places.

County party chairs have to submit a list of observers to the chief election judge at least five days before they monitor a polling site.

Observers have to be registered voters in that county and be of “good moral character.”

Observers are not allowed to campaign or do any other “electioneering” while they are in polling places.

County chairs can also appoint runners to check voter lists.

Political candidates are not allowed to serve as observers or runners.

“The North Carolina Republican Party is working across the state to recruit and train poll watchers like we normally do for every election,” North Carolina GOP spokesman Tim Wigginton said.

“We work to make sure that our poll workers complete our training, know and comply with the law and properly report all suspicious activities to our attorneys who will make sure that the proper authorities are notified. This is a normal operation that all component political parties engage in every general election,” he said, responding to questions from Spectrum News 1 by email.

Read the section of North Carolina election law on poll observers here.