Monday, November 4, 2024

MO Sues to Block DOJ from Sending Poll Monitors


The Republican-led State of Missouri, not One of the Seven Battleground States asked a Judge Monday, to Block the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ from sending Lawyers to St. Louis on Election Day, to Monitor for Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws, even after the City's Election Board, agreed to Permit it.

The Lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri by the State's Attorney General Andrew Bailey (R) and Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft (R), accuses the DOJ of making an 11th hour Plan that intends to "displace state election authorities" by sending Poll Monitors on Tuesday to Locations throughout St. Louis.

Missouri is One of 27 states the DOJ said on Friday, it would send Staff to Monitor Voting Locations, as it has done Regularly during National Elections. The only location in Missouri it is sending Poll Monitors to is St. Louis, which in January 2021 reached a Settlement with the DOJ over concerns about Architectural Barriers and other Problems that could have hindered Voting by People with Disabilities.

As part of that Settlement, the City's Board of Election Commissioners, agreed to allow the DOJ to Monitor for Compliance. This included the Monitoring of Polling Places on Election Day.

The Settlement was Completed at the very end of the Trump Administration, when Eric Dreiband previously served as the Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.

While some of the Locations the DOJ will Monitor on Election Day include Key Counties, in the Seven Battleground States of: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, expected to help Decide the Election.

the DOJ is also sending Personnel to a variety of other Locations such as Counties in: Alaska, Massachusetts, New Jersey, South Dakota. and Texas.

The DOJ is Responsible for Enforcing a Variety of Federal Voting Rights Laws, such as Pne that requires States to accommodate Voters with Disabilities, and another that requires States to allow U.S. Citizens and Military Members who reside Overseas, to Vote by Absentee Ballot in Federal Elections.

In 2022, both Florida and Missouri Resisted efforts by the DOJ to send Poll Monitors to Locations including Miami-Dade and Broward County. Florida, in a Letter to the DOJ that year, said State Law Prohibited Department Employees from being inside Polling Places, unless they were on a List of Permitted Personnel.

In response to the Concerns, the DOJ had its Staff Stationed outside Polling Locations in Florida and Missouri, for the 2022 Election.










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker


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