Payam Javan: Federal officials will be stationed at polling locations across 86 jurisdictions in 27 states on Election Day to monitor adherence to voting rights laws, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced. Key states targeted for monitoring include battleground locations like Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas. This initiative is part of the DOJ’s longstanding commitment to ensuring that eligible U.S. citizens can exercise their voting rights, with officials available to address complaints from the public throughout Election Day.

Recent concerns around election integrity, voter access, and election official safety have led to heightened security measures, including the installation of bulletproof glass and panic buttons in some jurisdictions. This year, extra oversight will also be enforced during ballot counting processes, responding to increased instances of ballot box destruction and concerns about voter intimidation. The DOJ’s focus includes monitoring states pivotal to the election outcome, where voter intimidation and potential security issues could impact results in swing states like Arizona, Florida, and Michigan.

The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will work closely with U.S. attorney offices, federal observers, and state and local election officials to uphold federal voting protections. These protections are enforced under several statutes, including the Voting Rights Act, which Congress enacted in 1965 to address racial discrimination in voting. However, a 2013 Supreme Court ruling found parts of the act unconstitutional, allowing states like Texas to implement ID requirements for voters. In her dissent, the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg argued that voting discrimination persists and emphasized the historical effectiveness of the Voting Rights Act in preventing disenfranchisement in areas with a history of discrimination.