PENNSYLVANIA (WHP) — The Justice Department informed the PA State Department and Secretary of State Al Schmidt in a letter that it would send election observers to four PA counties for Election Day on November 3.
According to a letter obtained by CBS 21 News, DOJ Civil Rights Division observers will travel to Philadelphia, Allegheny, Luzerne and Lehigh to observe and take notes on election processes.
The DOJ told the department that observers “will follow all state and jurisdictional rules.” This is not the first time the DOJ has sent observers to states on Election Day.
The letter also explained what observers would do if they observed an “election problem.”
They will inform their team leader of the jurisdiction. The team leader or regional coordinator can then contact the designated person for the jurisdiction about the problem. Observers do not speak to voters at polling stations. Instructors are prohibited from carrying firearms, even if your state is open to carry.
This announcement comes after an ongoing investigation by the DOJ revealed that 19 non-citizen voters may have voted illegally in the previous general election.
DOJ Election Observer Letter (003)PDF preview
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READ MORE | 9 PA non-citizens accused of voting in 2022 and 2024 elections (officials)
The DOJ said it will hold meetings with jurisdictions that will benefit from the monitoring to further explain the monitoring efforts.
The State Department released a statement regarding the letter:
The Pennsylvania Department of State expects everyone working, voting, and observing polling locations to comply with all applicable state and federal laws. DOJ observers are not legally entitled to greater access to polling locations than members of the general public and we encourage them to coordinate with local election offices where they will be present to ensure that their activities do not disrupt the voting process.
Additionally, state and federal laws strictly limit military and police presence at voting locations. The Pennsylvania Constitution prohibits the military from infringing on the right to vote in an election, and the Pennsylvania Election Code prohibits police officers from being within 100 feet of a polling place – unless they are voting, executing a warrant or preventing a disturbance at the polling place that interferes with voting. Federal law includes similar protections and prohibits both voter intimidation and the deployment of military personnel at polling locations.
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