The Department of Justice is sending election monitors to three parishes in Louisiana ahead of Election Day.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office, the DOJ election monitors will be in Orleans, East Baton Rouge, and Lafayette parishes.
A statement from the Louisiana Secretary of State said the presence of DOJ election monitors is not new, and that election monitors will be in all 50 states.
The statement read:
“We have received notice that the Department of Justice intends to send election monitors to three parishes – Orleans, East Baton Rouge, and Lafayette. This is nothing new and has been done in Louisiana in the past. The Department of Justice has confirmed plans to monitor elections in all 50 states, including Louisiana. The Department of Justice has monitored elections across the country for many years, so federal election monitoring is nothing new.
“Our responsibility is to conduct elections fairly, securely, and in accordance with the law. Louisiana election officials will continue administering our elections under state law. We expect anyone observing the process, whether they’re federal officials or other authorized observers, to follow applicable rules and respect voters’ rights. Federal officials have assured us they will not intrude on or interfere with the voting process. Federal observers have specific responsibilities and legal limits.”
About federal election monitors:
This comes after Kiersten Pels, a DOJ spokesperson, said last week that there will be around 1,000 monitors deployed to counties across the country, but a full list will not be shared until Election Day.
Pels said monitors will “merely observe” and report any potential violations of federal law to the DOJ. She said those reports will be reviewed after Election Day.
The federal monitors come amid a tight race for the U.S. Senate in Louisiana.
Recent polling shows Democrat Jamie Davis nearly tied with Trump-endorsed Republican candidate Julia Letlow.
To read more on federal election monitors, click here.
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