As Election Day nears, directors at all of Ohio's county board of elections said they’re ready for potential visits from federal election monitors.
On Nov. 3, the Department of Justice said it will send 1,000 election monitors across the country.
The Statehouse News Bureau previously reported that the DOJ emailed Franklin, Medina and Cuyahoga counties informing them its Civil Rights Division intends to send election monitors to those jurisdictions.
However, election law expert Bill Rich recommended they bypass the Buckeye State.
“Ohio severely limits who can be present in a voting location. And that limitation doesn’t allow for DOJ monitors and these monitors don’t have any statutory authority to preempt state law,” Rich said.
Rich said county board of election directors can choose to allow a DOJ monitor within a polling location. This has happened in Cuyahoga County in past years. These individuals are in plain clothes, can observe election activities, document potential violations of federal voting laws, and raise concerns with election officials.
In Franklin County, they’re not allowed inside any polling locations. But they can be 100 feet from the entrance. They can also speak to voters who’ve left the polls.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, a democracy-focused think tank, only Ohio registered voters can serve as an election observer. They must apply to the county board of elections prior to observing. They can watch all proceedings at the polls and ballot counting, as well as the certification of returns. If they see an issue, they can contact a county board of elections official outside of the voting area.
