WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The department will monitor possible violations of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and other national laws, including whether voters are subject to different procedures due to race, ethnicity or language, and whether jurisdictions provide assistance to disabled or illiterate voters.
"Civil Rights Division plans to deploy more than 500 personnel to 67 jurisdictions in 28 states for the Nov. 8, 2016, general election," the statement said.
Although US states are responsible for administering elections, federal law requires the Justice Department to enforce voting rights laws.
The November 8 election will be the first without the full protections afforded by the Voting Rights Act, a key section of which the US Supreme Court voided three years ago.
The court limited the US government’s power to supervise areas of the country with a history of voter discrimination or election irregularities.
