The U.S. Department of Justice will monitor the general election in Miami-Dade and Broward counties for compliance with federal voting rights laws, U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe announced Friday.
According to a news release, those monitors will include Justice Department personnel, who will contact state and local election officials as needed throughout Election Day on Nov. 5.
South Florida's not alone. The Justice Department says it will do this in 86 jurisdictions across 27 states.
“The Justice Department enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot,” the release reads. “The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.”
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Since the attack at the Capitol by Trump supporters on Jan. 6, 2021, Justice Department and FBI officials have been preparing to respond to attempts at election interference, both foreign and domestic, NBC News reported.
The federal government said it is limited in the actions it can take when it comes to protecting elections and noted that elections authority falls to state and local officials. The Justice Department also has a “quiet period” leading up to Election Day when it avoids taking public actions that could be seen as having an effect on the election.
That is why the Justice Department said its monitoring on Election Day will be focused primarily on evaluating possible violations of federal law, saying in a statement that it does have an important role to play in “deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.”
Local
Law enforcement officials across the country said they believe the 2024 election will have a more sustained drumbeat of partisan rhetoric and disinformation than the 2020 election, NBC News reported. And there are some concerns that the longer it takes to declare a winner, the more the potential for threats of violence and actual violence will grow.
Voters can ask personnel questions and make complaints related to “possible violations of federal voting rights laws” at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling 1-800-253-3931.
Issues related to disruptions at a polling place, however, should be deferred to local election officials. To report violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place, call 911.
NBC News contributed to this report.
