Republican officials in Florida, Texas, and Missouri have recently resisted the Justice Department’s (DOJ) longstanding practice of sending monitors to polling places to ensure compliance with federal voting rights and civil rights laws. These efforts reflect increasing skepticism of federal involvement in state elections among some GOP leaders.
Texas and Missouri filed federal lawsuits, arguing that their state laws prohibit federal monitors from entering polling places. However, both states saw their requests for restraining orders denied by federal judges. In Texas, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk requested more information and allowed DOJ monitors to observe from outside polling places, leading Texas to withdraw its lawsuit after reaching an agreement with the DOJ.
In Missouri, Judge Sarah Pitlyk ruled that Missouri’s claims were “speculative” and that federal interests in enforcing disability rights laws took precedence. The DOJ monitors, who are typically department attorneys rather than armed law enforcement, will now operate outside polling locations in all three states.
The DOJ’s decision to deploy monitors to 86 jurisdictions across 27 states this year marks its largest election monitoring effort in 20 years, aiming to address potential voter intimidation amid heightened security concerns for election workers.
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