Justice Department to Monitor 64 Voting Jurisdictions in 24 States

After President Joe Biden attacked state election reforms and asserted, “democracy is on the ballot,” his administration’s Justice Department announced Monday that it would be sending election observers to 24 states. 

These include Georgia, Texas, Arizona, Florida and other states that implemented election integrity measures Biden and other Democrats have characterized as “Jim Crow 2.0.” 

The Justice Department officials will also be in several battleground states with closely-contested races such as Michigan, North Carolina, Nevada, New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

“The Justice Department announced today its plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in 64 jurisdictions in 24 states for the Nov. 8, 2022 general election. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored elections in the field in jurisdictions around the country to protect the rights of voters,” the Justice Department announced in a press release on Monday. “The Civil Rights Division will also take complaints from the public nationwide regarding possible violations of the federal voting rights laws through its call center.”

The DOJ is also monitoring Alaska, California, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. 

In 2021, the Justice Department launched lawsuits against the states of Arizona, Georgia and Texas alleging that the states’ new election reform laws would lead to voter suppression. The department has recently resisted publicly releasing its strategic plan for implementing a Biden executive order to boost voter particiation.

In Arizona, Justice Department monitors will be in Maricopa County, Navajo County, Pima County, Pinal County, and Yavapai County. 

In Georgia, Justice Department monitors will be in Cobb County, Fulton County and Gwinnett County. 

In Texas, Justice Department monitors will be in Dallas County, Harris County, and Waller County.