(CNS News) – In a Nov. 7 press release, the Department of Justice announced that it would be sending poll monitors to 64 jurisdictions across 24 states “to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws.”
“Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters,” it reads.
The DOJ will be monitoring polls in the following 64 jurisdictions during the 2022 general election:
City of Bethel, Alaska;
Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
Sitka City-Borough, Alaska;
Maricopa County, Arizona;
Navajo County, Arizona;
Pima County, Arizona;
Pinal County, Arizona;
Yavapai County, Arizona;
Newton County, Arkansas;
Los Angeles County, California;
Sonoma County, California;
Broward County, Florida;
Miami-Dade County, Florida;
Palm Beach County, Florida;
Cobb County, Georgia;
Fulton County, Georgia;
Gwinnett County, Georgia;
Town of Clinton, Massachusetts;
City of Everett, Massachusetts;
City of Fitchburg, Massachusetts;
City of Leominster, Massachusetts;
City of Malden, Massachusetts;
City of Methuen, Massachusetts;
City of Randolph, Massachusetts;
City of Salem, Massachusetts;
Prince George’s County, Maryland;
City of Detroit, Michigan;
City of Flint, Michigan;
City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
City of Pontiac, Michigan;
City of Southfield, Michigan;
City of Minneapolis, Minnesota;
Hennepin County, Minnesota;
Cole County, Missouri;
Alamance County, North Carolina;
Columbus County, North Carolina;
Harnett County, North Carolina;
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
Wayne County, North Carolina;
Middlesex County, New Jersey;
Bernalillo County, New Jersey;
San Juan County, New Mexico;
Clark County, Nevada;
Washoe County, Nevada;
Queens County, New York;
Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
Berks County, Pennsylvania;
Centre County, Pennsylvania;
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania;
Luzerne County, Pennsylvania;
City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
Horry County, South Carolina;
Dallas County, Texas;
Harris County, Texas;
Waller County, Texas;
San Juan County, Utah;
City of Manassas Park, Virginia;
Prince William County, Virginia;
City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and,
City of Racine, Wisconsin.
These monitors will be chosen from personnel from the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Office of Personnel Management in jurisdictions where they have been authorized by federal court order.
“Division personnel will also maintain contact with state and local election officials,” said the DOJ.
“The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote,” explained the DOJ. These include the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act of 1986; the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; the Help America Vote Act of 2002; and the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The Civil Rights Division’s “Disability Rights Section” is tasked with enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, “to ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote.”
The Civil Rights Division’s “Criminal Section,” is tasked with enforcing “federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.”
CNS News contacted the DOJ to ask what factors they take into consideration when determining which jurisdictions to send their monitors.
A DOJ spokeswoman told CNS that “the decision on when to send election monitors is based upon the facts and circumstances on the ground with respect to a particular jurisdiction in a particular election.”
“For example,” she continued, “in some places, it may be primarily monitoring for language accessibility under the VRA. In other places, it may be primarily monitoring for language accessibility under the ADA and HAVA. In still other places, it may include questions about possible discrimination or intimidation.”