For the first time in history, the DOJ is monitoring elections in all 50 states
For the first time in history, the U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring voting in all 50 states.
In a statement issued Tuesday morning, the DOJ said one if its most important missions “is ensuring election integrity, supporting free and fair elections, and protecting the right to vote for U.S. citizens across the United States.”
The initiative is not new. The DOJ has had election monitors observing elections in states nationwide after the Voting Rights Act in 1965 was enacted.
This midterm election, the size and scope of federal election monitoring is in place when Republicans are expected to see key losses during the second Trump administration. Now, the DOJ has implemented its “largest monitoring effort in history,” it says.
Roughly 1,000 DOJ election monitors were sent to all 50 states coordinated through the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management have also been deployed. The federal personnel will be in contact with state and local election officials, the DOJ said.
The news comes after the Trump administration has been aggressively charging illegal foreign nationals with illegally voting in dozens of states. It also came after the Trump administration lost its appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in its election case against California and as a federal investigation is already underway into voter fraud allegations in Alaska and lawsuits were filed.
DOJ election monitors will be focusing on ensuring that federal election laws are enforced, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division’s Disability Rights Section will also be enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that the disabled are being given “a full and equal opportunity to vote.” Its Criminal Section observers will be enforcing federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion, it says.
The DOJ is urging Americans to call its election hotline at 1-800-253-3931, email [email protected], or submit a complaint at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report to report any allegations of fraud or voter integrity concerns.
ADA concerns and complaints may be made by calling 1-800-514-0301 or at www.ada.gov.
The DOJ said that complaints about disruptions at polling locations should be reported to local election officials, including those at the polling location. Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police by calling 911 and to the DOJ, it said.
The most DOJ election integrity observers have been sent to Michigan (8 counties), Texas (7 counties), Georgia (6 counties), Illinois (6 counties) and Florida (5 counties).
DOJ observers were sent to counties in all 50 states, including:
Alabama: Jefferson, Montgomery, Mobile
Alaska: Anchorage, Dillingham, Kusilvak
Arizona: Apache, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima
Arkansas: Pulaski, Washington
California: Alameda, Los Angeles Sacramento, San Diego
Colorado: Adams
Connecticut: New Haven
Delaware: New Castle
Florida: Broward, Hillsborough, Leon, Miami Dade, Palm Beach
Georgia: Bibb, Chatham, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett
Hawaii: Honolulu
Idaho: Ada
Illinois: Champaign, Chicago, Cook, Madison, Sangamon, St. Clair
Indiana: Lake, Marion
Iowa: Linn, Polk
Kansas: Johnson, Sedgwick, Wyandotte
Kentucky: Fayette, Jefferson
Louisiana: East Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Orleans
Maine: Lewiston, Portland, South Portland
Maryland: Prince George’s
Massachusetts: Boston, Lowell
Michigan: Dearborn, Detroit, E. Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Hamtramck, Lansing, Warren
Minnesota: Hennepin, Minneapolis, Ramsey
Mississippi: Hinds, Lafayette
Missouri: Clay, Jackson, St. Louis
Montana: Yellowstone
Nebraska: Douglas
Nevada: Clark
New Hampshire: Nashua, Manchester
New Jersey: Bergen, Middlesex, Union
New Mexico: Bernalillo
New York: Albany, Erie, Kings, New York, Westchester
North Carolina: Alamance, Mecklenburg, Wake
North Dakota: Cass
Ohio: Cuyahoga, Franklin, Medina
Oklahoma: Muskogee, Oklahoma, Tulsa
Oregon: Multnomah
Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzern, Philadelphia
Rhode Island: Pawtucket
South Carolina: Charleston
South Dakota: Minnehaha
Tennessee: Davidson, Knox, Shelby
Texas: Bexar, Blanco, Bowie, Dallas, Harris, Nueces, Waller
Utah: Salt Lake
Vermont: Burlington
Virginia: Charlottesville, Fairfax, Prince William, Virginia Beach
Washington: King, Yakima
West Virginia: Kanawha
Wisconsin: Madison, Milwaukee
Wyoming: Laramie County
Notably, DOJ observers were not sent to Zapata County, Texas where election fraud and ADA “assisted voters” violation allegations have been repeatedly made, including in this election, The Center Square exclusively reported. A state criminal investigation is underway in Zapata County and state officials just arrested convicted felons for allegedly illegally voting in Harris County.
Partly Sunny
