The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) deployed approximately 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states on Tuesday, Nov. 3, marking the largest monitoring operation in the department's history.
It is the first time the DOJ has sent monitors to every state, according to a department statement. In Massachusetts, monitors were assigned to two locations: Lowell and Boston. Needham and Dedham were not on the department's list of monitored jurisdictions.
The effort is coordinated by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. Monitors include personnel from the division, other DOJ components, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, the department said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in the statement that election integrity has been one of the top priorities for the administration and the division. Dhillon said the department is pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.
What monitors do
Election monitors check for compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA) and the Civil Rights Acts, according to the department.
The DOJ's Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at polling places. Its Criminal Section enforces federal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
The DOJ has sent election monitors since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. Monitors generally document potential violations rather than intervene, Patch reported.
Concerns raised
The scale is unprecedented.
The deployment drew criticism from voting-rights groups and some local election officials. USA Today reported that some groups, including the NAACP, said they believe the monitors could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority groups.
USA Today also reported that in states with competitive Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high levels of Black and Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data. Monitors were not sent exclusively to such areas, however.
The effort comes after courts repeatedly rejected DOJ attempts to force states to restrict voting for alleged noncitizens, Axios reported.
Voting in Needham and Dedham
Massachusetts polling locations are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters face a record-tying nine ballot questions along with races for governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state treasurer, U.S. Senate, U.S. representative and state legislators, according to Patch.
Residents with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call the DOJ's election hotline at 1-800-253-3931 or email [email protected]. ADA-related concerns can be directed to 1-800-514-0301.
