The Justice Department has announced its plans to monitor the Nov. 5 general election for compliance with federal voting rights laws across 86 jurisdictions in 27 states. This initiative is part of the department's ongoing efforts to ensure that all eligible citizens can access the ballot without hindrance.
Federal voting rights laws are enforced by the Justice Department to protect these rights, and it regularly dispatches staff to oversee elections nationwide. For this year's general election, monitoring will occur in various jurisdictions including:
- Bethel Census Area, Dillingham Census Area, Kusilvak Census Area, North Slope Borough, and Northwest Arctic Borough in Alaska
- Apache County, Maricopa County, Pima County, and Yuma County in Arizona
- San Joaquin County in California
- Broward County, Miami-Dade County, Orange County, Osceola County in Florida
- Cobb County, DeKalb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County, Macon-Bibb County in Georgia
- Jefferson and Kenton Counties in Kentucky
The effort will be coordinated by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Monitors will include personnel from multiple divisions within the department as well as federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. On Election Day, they will maintain communication with state and local election officials.
The Civil Rights Division's Voting Section enforces several federal statutes designed to protect voting rights such as the Voting Rights Act and Help America Vote Act. Additionally, its Disability Rights Section ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) for voters with disabilities.
On Election Day itself, personnel from the Civil Rights Division will be available to handle public inquiries or complaints regarding potential violations of federal voting rights laws. The public can report issues through a dedicated website or a toll-free number provided by the department.
Concerns related to ADA violations can also be addressed via a separate hotline or online submission through the department’s ADA website. Any disruptions at polling places should first be reported to local election officials or police authorities before contacting the Justice Department.
For more information on voting and elections or details about federal voting laws like the Voting Rights Act, resources are available on www.justice.gov/voting.
