Following the announcement of a lawsuit yesterday evening by Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Biden-Harris Department of Justice will not be sending federal election monitors inside Texas polling places.
The Department of Justice recently revealed plans to send monitors to “ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws” across 27 states, including in eight Texas counties: Atascosa, Bexar, Dallas, Frio, Harris, Hays, Palo Pinto, and Waller.
Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson asserted that federal monitors won’t be allowed inside polling places, citing Texas law that defines who is authorized to be present at polling sites and vote count centers. Gov. Greg Abbott supported her stance, saying, “Federal monitors are not allowed to enter polling places in Texas.”
After Paxton filed a lawsuit against the DOJ to prevent their entry into Texas polling places, the Office of the Attorney General has announced that they have reached a settlement that will keep them out.
The agreement states that federal monitors will not be allowed inside polling and central count locations. They will, however, be allowed outside 100 feet away just like any other citizen or candidate. Voters are not required to answer any questions that may be asked by them.
“Texans run Texas elections, and we will not be bullied by the Department of Justice,” said Paxton. “The DOJ knows it has no authority to monitor Texas elections and backed down when Texas stood up for the rule of law. No federal agent will be permitted to interfere with Texas’s free and fair elections.”
A DOJ spokesman told Texas Scorecard that the Department was always planning on being outside the polls before the agreement was made.
Additionally, Paxton has encouraged any Texans who see violations of the agreement by federal election monitors to report the breach to illegalvoting@oag.texas.gov.
