Department of Justice to send election monitors to East Lansing again on Election Day

For the second election this year, the U.S. Department of Justice is planning on sending election monitors to East Lansing, the Michigan Attorney General’s Office said in a news release Thursday.

Along with six other Michigan municipalities, the state attorney general’s office said President Donald Trump’s administration informed East Lansing that it will be sending federal monitors to polling locations during the Nov. 3 election, after doing so during the August Primary.

“The law provides specific parameters that allow monitors, observers and challengers to witness elections at local polling places,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in the Thursday news release. “It’s important for residents to know that DOJ monitors are a standard part of our election process, and we anticipate they will comport with state and federal law just as they did in this year’s August Primary.”

Back in August, East Lansing Info witnessed these election monitors at precincts around the city and heard from precinct chairs that they complied with rules, were not disruptive to election processes and were friendly towards election workers.

Still, Nessel said in her news release that her office is ready to hold accountable those who would interfere with Michiganders’ ability to cast their vote.

Back in June, ahead of the primary, the Trump administration sent letters to Lansing, Detroit and East Lansing, all strong Democratic voter blocks, alerting them that it would send election monitors for the primary. This was while Michiganders, amongst other races, determined which Democrats would face off in November against unopposed Republican candidates for U.S. Senate and Michigan’s 7th U.S. Congressional District.

As far as the Trump administration’s rationale for monitoring those specific municipalities in August, state and local officials issued statements refuting various false claims from the Department of Justice. 

Some East Lansing officials had theories on unspoken reasons East Lansing could have been chosen for monitoring. East Lansing City Councilmember Mark Meadows told ELi that the Trump administration could be trying to punish the city for retaining its sanctuary city status, while former City Clerk Marie Wicks said the administration could be interested in discouraging students from voting.