Tell the Dept. of Justice: Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day
Attorney General Loretta Lynch
For the first time in years, the security and integrity of Maricopa County elections will not be safeguarded by nonpartisan election monitors.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it won't send federal election monitors to Maricopa County, citing the 2013 Supreme Court Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted important provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In Maricopa County, no DOJ monitors means Sheriff Arpaio -- a Trump supporter who is currently under investigation for racial profiling and running for re-election -- is in charge of guarding the ballots. With more than 1.4 million votes at risk, we cannot let him do it unwatched.
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Don't leave voters at the mercy of Sheriff Arpaio. Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
Arizona was one of the nine states that the Supreme Court decision freed from getting advance approval for changes in voting procedures. And in the first presidential election since, Maricopa County, a heavy Latino area, has been plagued with electoral malfeasance:
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Don't leave voters at the mercy of Sheriff Arpaio. Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
The Shelby ruling did not specifically address the DOJ's authority to send observers inside polling places. But the Justice Department is using the most broadest interpretation of the ruling -- believing that they are prohibited from sending observers into jurisdictions unless there is already a relevant court order regarding voting practices.
Some legal scholars question the Dept. of Justice's interpretation, including Derek T. Muller, a conservative scholar on election law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Muller said he believed that the Justice Department could legally send observers to jurisdictions not specifically covered by court orders.
Considering what is at stake in this election both nationally and locally, Maricopa County voters deserve to know that their vote will be protected against intimidation, discrimination or obstruction. Join local activists in calling on the Dept. of Justice to protect democracy and not leave this election in the hands of Sheriff Arpaio.
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced that it won't send federal election monitors to Maricopa County, citing the 2013 Supreme Court Shelby County v. Holder decision that gutted important provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
In Maricopa County, no DOJ monitors means Sheriff Arpaio -- a Trump supporter who is currently under investigation for racial profiling and running for re-election -- is in charge of guarding the ballots. With more than 1.4 million votes at risk, we cannot let him do it unwatched.
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Don't leave voters at the mercy of Sheriff Arpaio. Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
Arizona was one of the nine states that the Supreme Court decision freed from getting advance approval for changes in voting procedures. And in the first presidential election since, Maricopa County, a heavy Latino area, has been plagued with electoral malfeasance:
- In March during the presidential primary, officials reduced the number of polling places by 70 percent. Voter lines were several hours long.
- Less than a month later, Maricopa County printed 2 million ballots with the wrong Spanish-language description for Prop 123. Taxpayers spent $400,000 to correct the mistake.
- Just weeks ago, the wrong polling address was printed on election materials mailed out to roughly 3,500 voters in two Tempe precincts with high Democratic party registration. To date, officials aren't planning to mail corrections, just pledged to have the correct polling site on future materials.
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Don't leave voters at the mercy of Sheriff Arpaio. Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
The Shelby ruling did not specifically address the DOJ's authority to send observers inside polling places. But the Justice Department is using the most broadest interpretation of the ruling -- believing that they are prohibited from sending observers into jurisdictions unless there is already a relevant court order regarding voting practices.
Some legal scholars question the Dept. of Justice's interpretation, including Derek T. Muller, a conservative scholar on election law at Pepperdine University School of Law. Muller said he believed that the Justice Department could legally send observers to jurisdictions not specifically covered by court orders.
Considering what is at stake in this election both nationally and locally, Maricopa County voters deserve to know that their vote will be protected against intimidation, discrimination or obstruction. Join local activists in calling on the Dept. of Justice to protect democracy and not leave this election in the hands of Sheriff Arpaio.
Tell the Dept. of Justice: Send federal election monitors to Arizona on Election Day.
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Attorney General Loretta Lynch
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Send federal monitors to Maricopa County to prevent any fraud and oversee issues on election day.