The U.S. Department of Justice plans to monitor elections in Washington County and Pulaski County on Tuesday, according to a department announcement. The action comes after Washington County’s election commission declined a request to place federal monitors inside the county’s polling locations.
The Washington County Election Commission voted unanimously last week against the request. Election officials cited the short notice among their reasons for declining it, according to the commission’s election director, Jennifer Price.
Justice Department monitors may be present within 100 feet of polling locations, according to the department. The planned monitoring is part of a broader effort covering elections in all 50 states. The department also said monitors would be sent to Muskogee, Tulsa and Oklahoma counties in Oklahoma.
“All of Washington County’s polling locations already meet federal requirements,” said Jennifer Price, Washington County director of elections.
Purpose of federal monitoring
Price said election monitors are assigned to observe whether local election procedures comply with federal requirements. Those requirements include accessibility at voting locations, access to voting equipment and the opportunity for every eligible voter to cast a ballot.
Washington County voters are choosing candidates for state and federal offices Tuesday. Polls across Arkansas opened at 7:30 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 7:30 p.m. Voters who are in line by closing time may cast a ballot.
The monitoring plan follows a disagreement over where Justice Department representatives could work on Election Day. Washington County commissioners declined access inside polling locations, while federal monitors retain permission to operate outside the locations but within the 100-foot boundary described by the department.
- The Justice Department plans to monitor elections in Washington and Pulaski counties.
- Washington County’s election commission voted unanimously to decline monitors inside polling locations.
- Federal monitors may be present within 100 feet of polling locations.
The department’s plans also include election monitoring in three Oklahoma counties. Washington County is in Northwest Arkansas and includes Fayetteville, the county seat, along with other communities in the region.
