Justice Department Sending Poll Monitors To 28 States On Election Day
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- The Justice Department will send more than 500 staffers to 28 states on Election Day to monitor the polls. That's a 35 percent reduction from the number four years ago.
Personnel will be sent to 67 jurisdictions, including several in the Tri-State area, to watch for potential civil rights violations, the department said.
COMPLETE CAMPAIGN 2016 COVERAGE
The number of personnel is less than the roughly 780 monitors and observers who were dispatched in 2012.
The Justice Department has said its poll-watching presence has been curtailed by a 2013 Supreme Court opinion that gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
Monday's announcement comes amid rising concerns about voter intimidation, particularly aimed at minorities.
In a statement, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the department is committed to ensuring that every eligible voter can participate in the election.
"The bedrock of our democracy is the right to vote, and the Department of Justice works tirelessly to uphold that right not only on Election Day, but every day," Lynch said.
Staffers will be dispatched to the following jurisdictions:
- Bethel Census Area, Alaska;
- Dillingham Census Area, Alaska;
- Kusilvak Census Area, Alaska;
- Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area, Alaska;
- Maricopa County, Arizona;
- Navajo County, Arizona;
- Alameda County, California;
- Napa County, California;
- Siskiyou County, California;
- East Hartford, Connecticut;
- Farmington, Connecticut;
- Hartford, Connecticut;
- Middletown, Connecticut;
- New Britain, Connecticut;
- Newington, Connecticut;
- West Hartford, Connecticut;
- Hillsborough County, Florida;
- Lee County, Florida;
- Miami-Dade County, Florida;
- Orange County, Florida;
- Palm Beach County, Florida;
- Fulton County, Georgia;
- Gwinnett County, Georgia;
- Hancock County, Georgia;
- Chicago, Illinois;
- Cook County, Illinois;
- Finney County, Kansas;
- Orleans Parish, Louisiana;
- Quincy, Massachusetts;
- Dearborn Heights, Michigan;
- Detroit, Michigan;
- Hamtramck, Michigan;
- St. Louis, Missouri;
- Douglas County, Nebraska;
- Mineral County, Nevada;
- Washoe County, Nevada;
- Middlesex County, New Jersey;
- Cibola County, New Mexico;
- Kings County, New York;
- Orange County, New York;
- Queens County, New York;
- Cumberland County, North Carolina;
- Forsyth County, North Carolina;
- Mecklenburg County, North Carolina;
- Robeson County, North Carolina;
- Wake County, North Carolina;
- Benson County, North Dakota;
- Rolette County, North Dakota;
- Cuyahoga County, Ohio;
- Franklin County, Ohio;
- Hamilton County, Ohio;
- Allegheny County, Pennsylvania;
- Lehigh County, Pennsylvania;
- Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania;
- Pawtucket, Rhode Island;
- Providence, Rhode Island;
- Bennett County, South Dakota;
- Jackson County, South Dakota;
- Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota;
- Shelby County, Tennessee;
- Dallas County, Texas;
- Harris County, Texas;
- Waller County, Texas;
- San Juan County, Utah;
- Fairfax County, Virginia;
- Prince William County, Virginia, and
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made by calling 1-800-253-3931, sending a fax to 202-307-3961, emailing voting.section@usdoj.gov and online at www.justice.gov/crt/votercomplaint.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)