In a significant move aimed at safeguarding voting rights, the U.S. The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Friday that it will deploy monitors to polling places across 27 states, including all seven key battlegrounds, during the upcoming Election Day. This initiative is designed to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will spearhead the monitoring effort, coordinating across 86 jurisdictions. This year marks the largest number of election monitors since the 2004 elections, reflecting a 49% increase compared to the 2020 elections, as reported by The Washington Post.
The monitoring teams will consist of personnel from the Civil Rights Division, various DOJ divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Throughout the day, these monitors will stay in close contact with state and local election officials to address any issues that may arise.
This announcement comes in response to growing concerns regarding voter intimidation and the safety of election workers, particularly following recent arson attacks on ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington. However, it is noteworthy that the DOJ will not be deploying monitors to these two states.
In a twist, Republican officials in three states have expressed their opposition to the presence of federal monitors at polling locations. During the 2022 midterm elections, state authorities in Florida and Missouri successfully barred monitors from entering polling sites, and Texas officials have indicated a similar stance for the upcoming elections.
“This issue has undoubtedly become politicized,” remarked Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, who criticized the DOJ’s actions as misleading.
Katherine Culliton-González, a former voting rights attorney at the DOJ and now a chief policy counsel at Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, emphasized the role of monitors, stating, “They are deployed in areas where issues could potentially arise.” She added that monitors usually help create a calming atmosphere at polling places.
Among the states receiving monitors, the DOJ has outlined a distribution strategy: six counties in Michigan, five in Georgia, four each in Wisconsin and Arizona, three in Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and one in Nevada.
Voters are encouraged to report any instances of violence, threats, or intimidation at polling places by contacting local law enforcement via emergency services (911). These incidents should also be reported to the DOJ once local authorities have been notified.
