Federal election monitors planned for three Louisiana parishes
Louisiana / Statewide
The U.S. Department of Justice plans to monitor or observe voting in Orleans, East Baton Rouge and Lafayette parishes during the November 3 election, the department announced Tuesday.
The announcement does not identify individual polling sites or the number of personnel assigned to Louisiana.
The Civil Rights Division is coordinating the effort to check compliance with federal voting rights laws, including protections against discrimination and voter intimidation and requirements for accessible voting. The department says personnel will stay in contact with state and local election officials.
Voters can report federal voting rights concerns to the department at 800 253 3931. The agency directs people to report polling place disruptions to local election officials and immediate threats or violence to local police by calling 911.
Louisiana voting hours are 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. CST Tuesday. The Secretary of State says anyone in line at closing time can vote. Polling locations and individual sample ballots are available through GeauxVote.
The deployment announcement does not report a finding of misconduct in any of the three parishes.