DOJ deploys election monitors to S.C. as voters express mixed reactions

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - The U.S. Department of Justice is deploying approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states on Tuesday in what it calls the largest election monitoring effort in its history.

Charleston County is the only jurisdiction in South Carolina included in the deployment.

The announcement is drawing different reactions from voters, with some questioning the need for additional federal oversight while others are focused on the rules surrounding who can vote.

Rosemary, a ballot volunteer who says she spent several hours opening mail-in ballots, opposes the federal presence.

“All the hullabaloo about voting. I just spent two or three hours in there opening mail-in ballots, and there’s no voter fraud, nothing,” she said. “And just sending troops in, and I’m sorry, I’m totally against it.”

Matthew, another Charleston County voter, raised concerns about voter identification requirements and said he believes voters should be required to show ID.

“Everyone needs an I.D. You know, it’s part of your right to vote,” he said. “You need an I.D. to get on a plane. You need an I.D. to buy alcohol. You need an I.D. to get anywhere you want to go. So an I.D. to vote is the way to go.”

The DOJ says its monitoring effort is intended to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The department also enforces federal laws prohibiting voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

What the monitors will be doing

Isaac Kramer, executive director of the Charleston County Board of Elections, said his office was notified ahead of Election Day that federal monitors would be coming to the county.

Kramer said he is aware of approximately 10 monitors working in two teams of five. The teams are moving between polling locations, with only one team at a location at a time.

“There’s two teams of five that are going around Charleston County. So they go from polling location to polling location,” Kramer said.

He said his office met with the federal team to discuss the rules and expectations for their presence.

“They’re there just to observe,” Kramer said. “They’re following the rules and procedures outlined in state law and the poll manager handbook.”

According to Kramer, the monitors may observe from a designated area inside a polling place or from outside, as long as they do not interfere with voters.

He said the monitors can take notes, but they cannot intimidate voters or interfere with the voting process. Kramer also said the monitors are not armed and are expected to wear regular street clothes.

The South Carolina Election Commission said it received notification from the DOJ on Oct. 21.

Sydni Bain, a junior public information officer with the commission, said the state was told the monitors would be observing the election process for compliance with federal voting rights laws.

“They have indicated to us that the monitors will observe and take notes and will not interfere with the voting process,” Bain said.

Bain said the commission does not know exactly which polling locations the monitors will visit or who the individual monitors are.

She said federal election monitoring is not new to South Carolina and that the DOJ indicated this deployment would be conducted in the same manner as previous monitoring efforts.

What voters should know

Kramer said voters who have concerns about activity at their polling place should notify the poll manager first. Voters can also contact the Charleston County Board of Elections.

The DOJ says disruptions at polling places should be reported to local election officials. Threats, violence or intimidation should be reported immediately to local law enforcement by calling 911.

The department also has an election issues hotline at 1-800-253-3931 and an email address, VEM@usdoj.gov , for questions and complaints related to federal voting rights laws.

The Justice Department says its Civil Rights Division will remain in contact with state and local election officials throughout Election Day.