The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in the City of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, for the September 10 primary election.
Federal observers will be assigned to monitor the election in Pawtucket to ensure compliance with the Voting Rights Act. Earlier this year, a federal court approved a consent decree to resolve claims under Sections 203 of the Voting Rights Act regarding the availability of election assistance and materials in Spanish for Spanish-speaking voters with limited English proficiency in Pawtucket. Section 203 mandates that certain jurisdictions provide election materials and assistance in languages other than English. The decree also addresses a claim under Section 302 of the Help America Vote Act, which requires jurisdictions to provide provisional ballots during federal elections. The consent decree authorizes federal observers to monitor activities at polling places on election day.
The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws during elections across various communities nationwide. Additionally, it deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management when authorized by a federal court order.
The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces civil provisions of federal statutes that protect voting rights, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Acts, and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Details about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.