DOJ to Monitor Florida and Wisconsin Elections

DATA DRIVEN VIEWPOINT: If only they would also monitor Ohio and all the other swing states, and everywhere else.  Our election systems is a mess.

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monday, August 13, 2012

Justice Department to Monitor Elections in Florida and Wisconsin

The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor elections on Aug. 14, 2012, in the following jurisdictions to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other federal voting rights statutes:  Collier, Hendry, Lee, Osceola and Polk Counties, Fla.; and the city of Milwaukee, Wis.

The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group.  In addition, the act requires certain covered jurisdictions to provide language assistance during the election process.  Collier, Hendry, Lee, Osceola and Polk Counties, as well as the city of Milwaukee, are required to provide language assistance in Spanish. 

Civil Rights Division personnel will monitor polling place activities in these jurisdictions.  Civil Rights Division attorneys will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country.  To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.

Visit www.justice.gov/crt/voting/index.php for more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws.

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Civil Rights Division