Undoubtedly, the 2024 presidential election will be a contentious experience for candidates and voters alike. With only days remaining until the Nov. 5 in-person voting day, candidates from both sides of the aisle are predicting a drawn-out process for tabulating the millions of votes nationwide.
In an effort to get ahead of federal voter rights violations that have taken place at polling locations across the country in recent years, the U.S. Justice Department announced today that it plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election.
The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.
For the general election, the department will monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws on Election Day in 86 jurisdictions, including 11 in Georgia, Michigan, and Pennsylvania:
- Cobb County, Georgia;
- DeKalb County, Georgia;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- City of Ann Arbor, Michigan;
- City of Detroit, Michigan;
- City of Flint, Michigan;
- City of Grand Rapids, Michigan;
- City of Hamtramck, Michigan;
- City of Warren, Michigan;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other department divisions, 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.
The impact of the fallout from the 2020 elections has prompted additional security features at elections departments in several cities. At one elections department in Detroit, for instance, the city has installed bulletproof glass, surveillance cameras, and a panic button, emphasizing the city’s commitment to safeguarding both its election workers and the integrity of the process.
Detroit has also entered into a notable agreement with the Republican National Committee to ensure a fair balance of poll workers from both major parties. This agreement arose after the RNC filed a lawsuit arguing that Detroit hired disproportionately more Democratic poll workers than Republicans in an August election.
The Civil Rights 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.
On Election Day, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931.
Individuals with questions or complaints related to the ADA may call the department’s toll-free ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or submit a complaint through a link on the department’s 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.
More information about voting and elections, including guidance documents and other resources, is available at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.Â
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