The U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday morning that what it calls the largest election surveillance effort ever will be underway at polling locations throughout the day, including in the St. Louis area.
The DOJ says approximately 1,000 election monitors and monitors will be deployed to all 50 states. The department said it would monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws.
A press release from the department The list of jurisdictions under observation includes the city of St. Louis, as well as St. Clair and Madison counties.
According to St. Louis Democratic Elections Director Ben Borgmeyer, the DOJ told the Board of Election Commissioners that its observers would stay outside, 50 feet or more from polling locations. They must identify themselves as representatives of the department and can ask voters leaving the polls to talk about their voting experience.
Engaging with these instructors is voluntary.
The DOJ presents this effort as a follow-up to election integrity and transparency efforts that it says are a priority of the department and the Trump administration.
“I am very proud that we are undertaking the largest oversight effort in DOJ history and pursuing election transparency in an assertive, non-discriminatory manner,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement.
A spokesperson for the St. Louis County Board of Elections said the Missouri Secretary of State’s office alerted them that federal officials would be in the city to monitor compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing the law regarding voting accessibility. According to the department, its monitors will also monitor compliance with provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and the Civil Rights Act.
St. Louis voters with concerns or questions about federal oversight can contact the Election Commission at 314-622-4336.
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