Justice Department to Monitor Election in Louisiana

WASHINGTON – The Justice Department today announced that it will monitor the Feb.6, 2010, municipal primary election in the city of New Orleans to ensure compliance with the anti-discrimination requirements of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act prohibits discrimination in the election process on the basis of race, color or membership in a minority language group. Attorneys from the department’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

Each year, the Justice Department deploys hundreds of federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, as well as departmental staff, to monitor elections across the country. To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices, including acts of harassment or intimidation, voters may call the Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.

Visit http://www.justice.gov/crt/voting/index.htm for more information about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws.