Feds to monitor elections in metro Atlanta, adding to other security efforts
The second day of early voting in Gwinnett County saw more long lines.
Emil Moffatt/WABE
The Justice Department will be monitoring voting procedures in Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties to ensure voting rights laws are followed on Election Day, according to U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan.
“Free and fair elections are critical to the democracy of our nation,” Buchanan said in a recent press release. “Every eligible voter is entitled to cast a ballot without fear of intimidation, interference or discrimination. Our office will dedicate the necessary resources to ensure that this fundamental right is protected for all voters.”
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the effort. It’s one of several steps that are being taken to keep poll workers and voters safe amid a volatile political environment.
In addition to Georgia, monitors will visit six other swing states — Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Nevada.
Monitors are expected to stay in touch with state and local election officials throughout the day — though complaints about threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should still be reported immediately to local law enforcement.
It’s a critical election year, and Georgia is at the center of it. Stay in the know with WABE’s 2024 Georgia Elections page, where you can find WABE’s latest election news and podcast episodes, important dates, voting locations, candidate info, results and more.
Security at all polling sites in Gwinnett, one of the counties targeted by former President Donald Trump, will be overseen by the sheriff’s office. The agency declined WABE’s request for comment about how many officers will be deployed to manage election security compared to the midterms.
However, Zach Manifold, Gwinnett’s director of elections, told NBC News in October that the county’s Lawrenceville election office will have police officers, who have been trained specifically on how to best work around an election.
It comes after Georgia recently became the first state to require that all new police officers study election law.
While the one-hour course will not take effect until January, the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council has encouraged all current officers to complete the course before the presidential election. The training emphasizes de-escalation and ways for police officers to avoid appearing threatening with their presence.
Complaints about voting procedures can be made to the Justice Department online at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling 800-253-3931. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will also be available to receive complaints on Election Day at (404) 581-6001.
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