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Six Michigan cities will be monitored by the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) for compliance with federal voting rights laws during Tuesday’s general election.
On Friday, the DOJ announced that personnel from the Civil Rights Division will be among those present at a total of 86 jurisdictions in 27 states across the country including the cities of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Hamtramck and Warren.
According to a press release, the department regularly deploys staff to polling sites to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws and maintain contact with state and local election officials throughout the day.
“DOJ is aware of what’s happening nationally, that this is a very close election,” Bruce Adelson, an attorney and former DOJ official who led monitoring teams in the early 2000s, told the Michigan Advance.
“There’s been a lot of incidents that are of concern to [the Department of] Justice, whether they’re voter intimidation or allegations of vote manipulation. As a swing state, they wanted to be in Michigan to gather information about incidents that may occur and also potentially take action as needed,” he said.
Also participating will be personnel from various U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, all of whom will help enforce the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts.
Adelson, who now works as an elections consultant and also serves as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, said that typically jurisdictions are chosen with an eye toward trying to diffuse potential areas of contention.
“I know there’s been a lot of attention paid to former President [Donald] Trump’s visit to Hamtramck recently, and the endorsement by the mayor. There’s been a lot of attention paid to the Arab community’s reaction to the conflicts in the Middle East as well as the Jewish community,” Adelson said. “In my opinion, that would be why DOJ will have folks in Hamtramck to observe the election, monitor developments, and if something serious happens, potentially take action.”
The rights of voters with disabilities are another potential area of concern, with the division’s Disability Rights Section working to enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), while the Criminal Section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
On Election Day, DOJ personnel will be available throughout the day to receive questions and complaints from the public related to possible violations. Reports can be made through the department’s website www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931.
Officials say complaints related to polling place disruptions should always be reported to local election officials, while complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to law enforcement by calling 911, and then reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
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