DALLAS (WBAP & KLIF News) — More than three and a half million Texans voted early this year with no serious problems reported but those going to the polls on Election Day in Harris, Dallas and Waller counties do so under the watchful eyes of U.S. Department of Justice election monitors.
An announcement from the DOJ on Thursday didn’t give specific reasons for the decision to locate federal monitors in these particular counties, though The Texas Tribune points out the announcement came about a week after Texas civil rights advocates expressed concerns over reports of early voting confusion or inaccurate information being given about the state’s modified voter ID law.
Harris and Dallas counties are the state’s largest and second largest respectively in terms of population.
A total of 500 monitors from the DOJ Civil Rights Division are staffing polling locations in 28 states.