Justice Department civil rights lawyers will monitor dozens of election jurisdictions in 24 states on Tuesday to enforce federal voting rights laws amid allegations that right-wing groups are involved in voter intimidation.
It has become a common practice on Election Day since the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but the move this cycle comes amid accusations from Democrats and federal authorities that Republican groups intimidate voters by watching ballot boxes or polling places. In some cases, there were men with body armor, firearms and/or video equipment.
Federal observers will be sent to several high-profile areas, including Maricopa County in Arizona, where gunmen watched voters and election officials received threats.
Critics of the tactic have blamed former President Donald Trump and Republican candidates, who continue to claim the 2020 election was rigged and suggest it could happen again this year.
Some who have been endorsed by Mr. Trump, such as Arizona gubernatorial candidate Curry Lake, said they would only accept the results if they beat their Democratic opponents.
Attorneys for the Justice Department who will monitor Cole County, Missouri, are expected to face opposition from local election workers. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft, a Republican, said the county’s Republican Party secretary in charge of elections “rightfully refused to allow this overrun.”
