The U.S. Justice Department released the information below:
One of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) 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
DOJ has sent election monitors in support of this mission since the enactment
of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 across all Administrations.
Today, the DOJ
will further this mission by engaging in its largest monitoring effort in
history—with approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers deployed, and,
for the first time, in all 50 states. The
effort is coordinated by the Civil Rights Division. Monitors will include
personnel from the Division, other DOJ divisions/components, U.S. Attorney’s
Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management.
Throughout Election Day, Division personnel will maintain contact with state
and local election officials.
“Election
integrity has been one of the top priorities for this Administration and this
Division,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil
Rights Division at the Department of Justice. “I am very proud we are deploying
the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history, and pursuing transparency for
elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.”
Election
monitors will be checking for compliance with the federal voting rights
statutes that fall within the jurisdiction of the Division. The Division’s
Voting Section enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect
the right to vote, 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 Division’s
Disability Rights Section enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to
ensure that persons with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to
vote. The Division’s Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that
prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color,
national origin, or religion.
Throughout the
day and week, Division personnel will be available to receive questions and
complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a
question or complaint, please call our election issues hotline at
1-800-253-3931, email us at VEM@usdoj.gov, or
submit a complaint through our website at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report.
Individuals with
questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the Division’s toll-free
ADA information hotline at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a
complaint through our ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Complaints
related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to
local election officials (including officials based in the polling place).
Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a
polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by
calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after
local authorities have been contacted.
To learn more about what the DOJ and the Civil Rights Division has done historically to protect the vote and ensure free and fair elections, go to www.civilrights.justice.gov/electionintegrity.
