DOJ to send election monitors to Prince George's County on Election Day
The Department of Justice plans to send election monitors to Prince George’s County on Election Day. The monitors are meant to observe, and not interfere, with the election.
While not unusual, the move comes at a time when many are discussing the integrity of elections and voter intimidation. Most voters News4 talked to, though, said they feel confident about the electoral process.
“I have no concerns whatsoever about the integrity of our election, and as a matter of fact, I have not had any concerns through the years. So, I just voted – easy, no problem,” one voter said.
“The new voters now are especially coming out to get their vote in, to make sure it’s counting, and making sure not only is it making a better future for us, but a better future for our future kids and the world in general,” another voter told News4.
“We all hope for a better country. The way things are going on now, is not good for nobody,” a voter said.
Many voters were unaware of the Department of Justice’s decision to send about 1,000 election monitors to polling places across the country on Election Day, including to Prince George’s County.
Voters might not even notice them – election monitors won’t identify themselves and will be in plainclothes.
“They have done this in the past. They are there just to observe and take notes, they cannot interfere, intrude or interject in any way in the voting process,” Maryland State Administrator of Elections Jared DeMarinis said.
But, with the DOJ filing lawsuits ahead of the election in some states, there are concerns about what the agency could do with the information monitors collect.
“Given the president’s prior unwillingness to accept election results that he lost, I think people are understandably nervous about what the true motives of the Justice Department observers might be,” Todd Eberly, a political science professor at St. Mary’s College of Maryland, said.
No FBI or ICE agents would serve as federal election monitors on Election Day, a DOJ official said.
“I think the big question comes down to Election Day and whether or not the Department of Justice observers do play their traditional role, whether or not other federal agents, like ICE, might try to show up at or near polling places,” Elberly said. “I think all of those are unanswered questions and the Trump administration has not given a clear answer on what they might do.”
Early voting ends at 8 p.m. on Thursday.
The State Board of Elections, as well as Prince George’s county officials, are expected to meet Friday to discuss the election monitoring process.
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