Texas officers have rebuffed an try by the U.S. Division of Justice to watch election exercise on Election Day in Texas.
The Justice Division on Friday introduced its plan “to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 86 jurisdictions in 27 states for the Nov. 5 general election.”
It says it’s a part of its effort to implement “federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot” and often deploys workers to states to watch “for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country.”
The 86 jurisdictions are situated within the 27 states: Alaska (5), Arizona (4), California (1), Florida (4), Georgia (5), Kentucky (2), Massachusetts (8), Maryland (1), Michigan (6), Minnesota (3), Mississippi (3), Missouri (1), Montana (1), North Carolina (3), New Jersey (3), New Mexico (2), Nevada (1), New York (1), Ohio (2), Pennsylvania (3), Rhode Island (3), South Carolina (1), South Dakota (4), Texas (8), Utah (1), Virginia (5), and Wisconsin (4).
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The bulk are listed in Texas within the counties of Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto and Waller.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the monitoring effort, it says, and ship personnel from the DOJ, U.S. Lawyer’s Workplaces and federal observers from the Workplace of Personnel Administration. All through Election Day, DOJ personnel “will maintain contact with state and local election officials,” it stated, and “be available all day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations of federal voting rights laws.”
In response to Nelson’s letter, Gov. Greg Abbott stated, “Federal monitors are not allowed to enter polling places in Texas.”
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson had an identical response.
“Texas law is clear: Justice Department monitors are not permitted inside a polling place where ballots are being cast or a central counting station where ballots are being counted,” she stated in a letter to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division chief. She additionally cited Texas Election Code, which stipulates who’s permitted in polling locations and “federal inspectors are not included in the enumerated list. Nor are federal inspectors specified in the list of persons permitted in the central counting station while ballots are being counted.”
She additionally stated that Texas has “robust processes and procedures in place to ensure that eligible voters may participate in a free and fair election.”
On Monday, Texas Lawyer Basic Ken Paxton deployed an Election Day Fast Response Authorized Group to main counties all through the state to watch Election Day exercise and “address litigation arising from the election, as necessary.”
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The workforce “will be equipped to enforce Texas election laws and take immediate action on any contingencies, including issues seen in previous cycles such as ballot shortages, extended polling location closures, and improper extension of voting hours,” the OAG stated in an announcement. The OAG can also be making ready “to take defensive action against activist groups who might attempt to influence the election through litigation,” it stated. His workforce is coordinating with Nelson’s workplace “to ensure that all issues are addressed immediately, and that Texas elections are fair and secure.”
The OAG has already taken a number of election-related actions, together with suing Travis and Bexar counties for utilizing taxpayer cash to ship voter registration supplies to doubtlessly ineligible residents, suing the Biden-Harris administration over not confirming voter registration citizenship eligibility info, and making a legal referral to the DOJ associated to ActBlue donation
“There is no issue more important and more fundamental to our nation than election integrity,” Paxton stated. “Our Election Day Rapid Response Legal Team will be on the frontline on November 5th. We will defend the ballot box from any bad actors seeking to unduly influence or illegally undermine Texas elections.”
The OAG is encouraging Texans to contact its tipline at [email protected] to report any suspected election violation.
The DOJ encourages Individuals to report alleged violations of federal voting rights legal guidelines on-line or by calling 1-800-253-3931.
Syndicated with permission from The Heart Sq..
