Philadelphia, Election Monitoring, Pennsylvania 2009

Philadelphia, Election Monitoring, Pennsylvania 2009

The city of Philadelphia will be under the watchful eye of federal authorities on May 19, 2009, as the Justice Department monitors the election to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws.

Staff members from the Justice Department will be stationed at polling places in Philadelphia, with a Civil Rights Division attorney coordinating the federal efforts and maintaining contact with local election officials. This move stems from a settlement agreement reached in April 2007, where the Justice Department alleged that Philadelphia had violated the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Help America Vote Act, and the National Voter Registration Act.

The monitors will focus on gathering information about Philadelphia’s compliance with Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act, which mandates that all election information, ballots, and voting assistance be provided in Spanish. The city has a history of failing to meet this requirement, which has led to allegations of discriminatory voting practices.

Voters who encounter any discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, are urged to contact the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931 to file a complaint. This number is available to ensure that all citizens can exercise their right to vote without fear of reprisal.

The Justice Department’s election monitoring efforts are part of a larger initiative to protect the voting rights of all citizens. In 2008, the department deployed 1,060 federal observers and 344 staff members to monitor 114 elections in 76 jurisdictions across 24 states. This move is a testament to the department’s commitment to upholding the principles of democracy and ensuring that all citizens have a voice in the electoral process.

For more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws, citizens can visit the Civil Rights Division’s website at www.usdoj.gov/crt/voting/index.htm. By staying informed and vigilant, citizens can help ensure that the electoral process remains fair and just for all.

Related Federal Cases