(Minnehaha County, SD) — Agents from the U.S. Justice Department will be in four South Dakota counties today as “poll observers.” The DOJ announced on Friday they’ll be at 86 jurisdictions in 27 states to “monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws.” South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson responded with a letter to the Justice Department that the officials can be “poll observers,” but not “poll watchers.” Only individuals representing a state candidate, party or ballot question committee are permitted to be “poll watchers.” South Dakota law allows any member of the public to be a poll observer, provided they don’t interfere with poll workers or the voting process. The four counties are Bennett, Jackson, Minnehaha and Oglala Lakota.
