The Department of Justice is monitoring Horry County polling places. Here’s why.
Horry County is among 64 jurisdictions nationwide that will have U.S. Department of Justice officials monitoring poll activity on Election Day, the agency announced Nov. 7.
It’s a routine exercise that stretches back to passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Representatives from the DOJ’s civil rights division will be on hand looking for the following:
Election practices that have either a discriminatory purpose or a discriminatory result on account of race, color, or language minority status.
Intimidation of voters.
Allowing voters who need assistance in voting because of disability or inability to read or write to receive assistance from a person of their choice.
Requiring minority language election materials and assistance in certain jurisdictions.
Requiring accessible voting systems for voters with disabilities.
Requiring that provisional ballots be offered to voters who assert they are registered and eligible to vote in the jurisdiction, but whose names do not appear on poll books.
Requiring states to provide for absentee voting for uniformed service members serving away from home, their family members also away from home due to that service, and U.S. citizens living abroad.
Requiring covered states to offer the opportunity to register to vote through offices that provide driver licenses, public assistance, and disability services, as well as through the mail; and to take steps regarding maintaining voter registration lists.
Horry County will be the 12th in South Carolina to have DOJ monitoring at the polls since 1965. The state Election Commission works closely with federal authorities to help assure rolls are purged of voters who have died.
In a March voter integrity guide, state Election Commission chief Howard Knapp said officials welcome public scrutiny at the polls.
“Questioning the way our government works is not just patriotic, it’s our way of life. Our elections are no different. Voters deserve to know how our elections work, how they are kept secure, and why they should trust the integrity of election results,” he said. “Any successful election system strikes the right balance between security and accessibility while also ensuring the public’s trust in that system. “
