Sioux Empire Today

The Justice Department has announced plans to monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in four South Dakota counties during the upcoming general election on November 5. United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell confirmed that Bennett, Jackson, Minnehaha, and Oglala Lakota Counties will be under observation.

The department regularly deploys its staff to ensure adherence to federal civil rights laws across various communities during elections. This initiative will be coordinated by the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. The monitoring team will include personnel from the department who will maintain contact with state and local election officials throughout Election Day.

The Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division is responsible for enforcing civil provisions of federal statutes designed to protect voting rights. These include the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and Civil Rights Acts. Additionally, the division’s Disability Rights Section ensures compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide persons with disabilities full access to voting. The Criminal Section enforces laws against voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin, or religion.

On Election Day, personnel from the Civil Rights Division will be available to address questions and complaints related to potential violations of federal voting rights laws. Reports can be submitted via the department’s website at www.civilrights.justice.gov or by calling 800-253-3931 toll-free. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also prepared to receive complaints on Election Day at (605) 838-9446, while the local FBI field office can be contacted at (605) 334-6881.

For ADA-related inquiries or complaints, individuals may call the department's ADA information hotline at 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 (TTY), or file a complaint through a link on www.ada.gov.

Any disruptions at polling places should first be reported to local election officials present at those locations. Incidents involving violence or intimidation should be immediately reported to local police by calling 911 and subsequently reported to the department.

Further information about voting and elections can be found at www.justice.gov/voting. Details about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws are available at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.

Complaints regarding possible violations of federal voting rights laws can also be filed directly with the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC through their complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by phone at 800-253-3931.