Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft on Monday filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department in an attempt to prevent federal officials from monitoring polling locations in St. Louis on Election Day.
Ashcroft in a statement accused the Justice Department of "attempting to illegally interfere in Missouri's elections" after the DOJ announced that it would oversee polling locations in in St. Louis, one of 86 jurisdictions in 27 states that the department will monitor on Election Day "for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections," according to a DOJ announcement issued on Nov. 1.
"The law clearly and specifically limits who may be in polling places and this action by the DOJ is not allowed," Ashcroft said.
"The secretary of state's office has full confidence in our election authorities. Voting has been underway for several weeks and we are ready for Election Day. I want to personally thank all 116 local election authorities and the thousands of poll workers across Missouri who make our elections safe, secure and credible," he added.
The only location in Missouri the DOJ is sending poll monitors to is St. Louis, which in January 2021 reached a settlement with the Justice Department over concerns about architectural barriers and other problems that could have hindered voting by people with disabilities.
As part of that settlement, the city's Board of Election Commissioners agreed to allow the Justice Department to monitor for compliance. This included the monitoring of polling places on Election Day.
The settlement was completed at the very end of the Trump administration, when Eric Dreiband previously served as the assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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