DOJ to monitor Clark County for voting rights compliance on Election Day
The Justice Department announced Friday that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Nevada and 26 other states on Election Day.
The department enforces federal laws that protect the rights of eligible citizens to access the ballot, and it regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance during elections in communities across the country, according to a statement from the Justice Department.
On Tuesday, it will monitor 86 jurisdictions, including Clark County, Nevada’s most populous county.
Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney’s offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management.
They will specifically look to ensure states are following the federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and Civil Rights Acts.
The division’s Disability Rights Section will enforce the Americans with Disabilities Act to make sure people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to vote, and the division’s criminal section enforces federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
Personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public on Election Day related to possible violations. Reports can be made at civilrights.justice.gov or by calling toll-free at 800-253-3931.
Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said he welcomes observers to the election process.
“We want anybody that wants to come in and review how we’re doing things here in Nevada, because we’re doing them in the right way,” he said during a press call Friday morning.
Clark County Registrar of Voters Lorena Portillo has done a “phenomenal job” in training poll workers and polling location managers, Aguilar said.
Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.
