NAACP sues over US Justice Department plans to deploy observers — The Guardian
In the United States, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has filed a lawsuit against Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The organization is seeking the disclosure of documents concerning the department's plans to send observers to polling places during the midterm elections in November.
As The Guardian reports, Dhillon previously said she hoped to deploy 1,000 observers to polling places. The NAACP believes that such an initiative could put the elections at risk and prevent voters from exercising their right to vote without intimidation.
Demand for records
The lawsuit seeks to compel President Donald Trump's administration to provide records on the deployment of observers. The NAACP said it submitted a request to the Justice Department under the Freedom of Information Act on September 1, but the department, according to the organization, failed to comply.
NAACP chief legal counsel Kristen Clarke, who held the position now occupied by Dhillon under President Joe Biden, said federal law does not give the Justice Department the authority to send such observers to polling places across the country. She also said Americans need to know whether the department is using law enforcement powers to the detriment of voters and election officials.
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Justice Department position and criticism in Wyoming
Attorney General Todd Blanche confirmed on Sunday that observers would be sent to all 50 states. According to him, the Justice Department has monitored elections since the 1960s, and the current administration is acting in the same way as previous ones.
A Justice Department spokesperson said the observers comply with legal and ethical requirements, including by not interfering with the voting process. According to the spokesperson, their work is in line with the longstanding practice of monitoring compliance with federal law.
At the same time, Wyoming's Republican Governor Mark Gordon criticized the actions of two observers in August. According to him, during the primaries they arrived at a polling place without prior notice and tried to inspect voting machines. The Justice Department denied that the employees acted aggressively or improperly.
