Justice Dept to monitor election in SC

The U.S. Justice Department will monitor elections today in Charleston County, S.C., to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act of 1965.  The Voting Rights Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. Under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department is authorized to ask the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to send federal observers to jurisdictions that are certified by the attorney general or by a federal court order. Justice Department personnel will monitor polling place activities in Charleston County.  A Civil Rights Division attorney will coordinate federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials. Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers to monitor elections across the country.  To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.