The Justice Department begins notifying counties where it wants to monitor elections
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun notifying counties that will be subject to federal election monitoring this November. While routine, the effort has drawn scrutiny due to heightened political tensions and concerns regarding federal interference in local election administration.
Why it matters
The deployment of federal monitors is a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over election integrity and the balance of power between federal and local authorities.
The Department of Justice this week began notifying the counties it wants to monitor on Election Day, NPR has learned.
Counties in Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Texas and Washington have received notifications from the Justice Department so far, but the list seemed to be growing in real time.
The department has long deployed monitors to ensure compliance with voting laws, but the Trump administration's unprecedented steps to try to wrestle control over elections from local and state governments have led to new concerns about DOJ monitoring this year. And already this week, at least one county official is raising questions about why his locality is on the DOJ's list.
Last month, Harmeet Dhillon, the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, said the department planned to send 1,000 observers nationwide, in what she termed "the largest monitoring effort" in DOJ history.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in