WASHINGTON (AP) – The โDepartmentโฃ of Justice announced it will deploy election monitors to California โadnโข New Jersey for the upcoming elections, a moveโ raising questions โabout potential federal oversight in traditionally Democratic strongholds. The decision comes as the DOJ, under theโ leadership โฃof Attorney General Merrick Garland, emphasizes its commitment to ensuring fair and secure โelections nationwide.
This deployment marks a shift inโฃ focus for the Civil Rights Division, typically involved in monitoring elections in โareas with aโค history of voter suppression or concerns about election integrity. While the DOJ has not specified โthe reasons for targeting these particular states,the โขmove arrives amid continued,though โunsubstantiated,claimsโค of election fraud โฃstemming from the 2020 โฃpresidential election. Formerโ President donald Trump continues to falsely assert that Joe Biden’s victory โขwas rigged, despite numerous studies finding no evidence of widespreadโ fraud.
The DOJ’s effort โฃwillโฃ be overseenโค by the Civil โRights Division,โ deploying personnel โขin coordination with U.S. attorney’sโค offices and working closely with state andโฃ local officials.โข The department is also soliciting requestsโ for โmonitoring in other jurisdictions.
David Becker,โ a former DOJ attorney and election monitor, explained โขthat these monitors โare typically department lawyers โฃprohibited from interfering at polling places. Heโ noted that local jurisdictions usually consent โขto โtheโข monitors’ presence, warning that attempting to send โคthem without aโฃ clear legal basis orโ local approval “could result in chaos.”
Earlier this year, Trump โฃpledged toโข ban vote-by-mail nationwide,โ a move he โคhas noโ constitutional authority โฃto โขenact. โคThe DOJ’s increased โmonitoring efforts โขcome โขas election security remains a prominent issue in the political landscape.
