Federal election observers to monitor Mecklenburg voting

CHARLOTTE — Observers from the U.S. Department of Justice will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws Tuesday in Mecklenburg County.

“The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country,” a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina says.

The effort will be coordinated by the department’s Civil Rights Division.

The division’s subagencies and the areas of federal law they enforce include:

• Voting Section — Laws protecting the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and Civil Rights acts.
• Disability Rights Section — Enforcement of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure that Americans with disabilities have a full and equal opportunity to vote.
• Criminal Section — Enforcement of federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation or suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
Justice Department staffers will be available all of Election Day to receive questions and complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports may be made at civilrights.justice.gov or 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will field complaints at 704-344-6222 in Charlotte, and at 828-271-4661 in Asheville.

“Complaints related to any disruptions at a polling place should always be reported to local election officials (including officials based in the polling place),” the release says.

“Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. These complaints should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.”