For the first time in its history, the U.S. Department of Justice is deploying election monitors in all 50 states on Election Day, with Clark County among the Nevada locations included in the nationwide effort.
The department says approximately 1,000 monitors and observers are being deployed Tuesday, marking its largest election monitoring effort since the agency began sending monitors following the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
The effort is being coordinated by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division and includes personnel from multiple department divisions, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management.
In Nevada, Clark County is the only county listed for monitoring. The department also identified specific jurisdictions in states across the country, including major metropolitan areas and communities where monitors will observe voting.
The monitors will focus on compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, and Americans with Disabilities Act.
The DOJ's Criminal Section will also enforce federal laws prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said the department is pursuing election transparency through the expanded monitoring effort.
Throughout Election Day and the rest of the week, Civil Rights Division personnel will remain in contact with state and local election officials and accept questions and complaints from the public about federal voting rights laws.
The department has established an election issues hotline at 1-(800) 253-3931. Complaints can also be emailed to VEM@usdoj.gov or submitted through the Civil Rights Division's website.
The DOJ says complaints about disruptions at polling places should first be reported to local election officials. Violence, threats of violence, or intimidation should be reported immediately to local police by calling 911. Those complaints can also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.
To learn more about what the DOJ and the Civil Rights Division have done historically to protect the vote and ensure free and fair elections, go to the Civil Rights Division’s website election integrity page.
