Millions Head To Vote On Election Day – Live Updates
Officials in Florida tried to block federal election observers from entering polling places in a small number of counties, arguing that Justice Department officials do not have the power to be present at polling places under state law.
In a letter to Justice Department officials on Monday, Florida State Department general counsel Brad McVeigh objected to the possibility of federal observers entering polling places on Election Day.
The letter was publication The department said it sent monitors to polling places in 64 jurisdictions in 24 states, including Florida’s Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. The agency said the move, which will take place on Election Day, is intended to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws and “protect the right of all citizens to access their ballots.”
The Florida letter, endorsed by Florida Secretary of State Kord Byrd, said that Justice Department pollsters were not allowed into polling places in Florida for in-person monitoring, saying that “voting rooms or Polling places.” No Justice Department officials were included on the list, according to the letter, and the Justice Department has not provided evidence to justify “federal intervention.”
The letter also suggested that allowing federal law enforcement to enter polling places “could be counterproductive and undermine confidence in the election,” and that Florida would instead vote for Broward, Miami-Dade said it plans to send its own monitors to polling stations in Palm Beach.
“We wanted to make it clear that those are places for election officials and voters and not anyone else. Press conference on tuesday. “Unless Congress enacts legislation, it is the states that have constitutional authority over polling places…we expect that [the Department of Justice will] Please respect Florida law. ”
The move comes after Missouri officials also told the Justice Department that they would not allow monitors inside certain polling places.
Cole County, Missouri, which includes the state capital, Jefferson, is on the Justice Department’s list of monitored jurisdictions, and officials are taking similar steps to keep federal observers out of polling places. Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said last weekend that he supports County Clerk Steve Korsmeyer’s efforts to keep the monitors away.
“Under Missouri law, local election officials are empowered to determine who is at the polls other than voters and poll workers,” Ashcroft wrote. twitter“Coal County Clerk Steve Koasmeyer duly refuses to allow this excess, and the Secretary of State fully supports him.”
https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/elections-2022-midterms-results-house-senate-polls-watch-live-stream-today-2022-11-08/ Millions Head To Vote On Election Day – Live Updates