DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE TO MONITOR NOVEMBER 2 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN CHEROKEE, DELAWARE, AND ADAIR COUNTIES, OKLAHOMA

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Department of Justice today announced plans to send election monitors to observe the November 2 election in three Oklahoma counties in and around the Cherokee nation, Cherokee, Delaware, and Adair counties.

On October 28, 2004, the Department announced its largest election monitoring effort ever, deploying approximately 1,100 federal monitors and observers to watch elections in 25 states around the country. The Department noted the possibility of adding additional jurisdictions prior to Election Day.

The election monitors deployed to Oklahoma will be career employees of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. They will monitor elections for possible violations of election-related federal civil rights protections.

Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Justice Department has regularly sent observers and monitors around the country to protect election-related civil rights. In addition, the Department has routinely deployed its own civil rights personnel to serve as civil rights monitors in jurisdictions not covered by the Voting Rights Act.

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