The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it will be deploying staff to a county in northeastern Ohio due to concerns over intimidation. According to the DOJ, voters in Portage County have expressed worries about intimidation stemming from surveillance, the collection of personal voter information, and threats related to the electoral process. The staff will be stationed in Portage County during the early voting period and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5.
In September, Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski made a social media post suggesting that if Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris were to win, people should write down supporters’ addresses to have illegal immigrants sent there. The sheriff later removed the post, but it’s unclear if the DOJ’s deployment is in response to these remarks.
Responding to the DOJ’s announcement, the Portage County Sheriff’s Office stated that the monitoring of voting locations and polls by the DOJ is a standard practice nationwide and not unique to Portage County.
Ohio is not expected to be a battleground state in the 2024 election, having voted in favor of former President Trump in both the 2016 and 2020 elections.
The DOJ has issued several district-specific news releases this week regarding the U.S. attorneys’ office staffers who will lead the department’s efforts on Election Day. These efforts will focus on handling complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud.
Additionally, the DOJ has emphasized that federal law protects against crimes such as threatening violence against election officials, voter intimidation, and election fraud. The agency stressed the importance of upholding voter rights and ensuring a fair electoral process free from interference.
The DOJ did not provide specific examples of potential fraud in its announcements, but it has highlighted the availability of FBI special agents throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and abuses on Election Day.
Officials in battleground states have issued warnings to county and local officials about tampering with or delaying the vote ahead of the presidential contest on Nov. 5. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry have both emphasized the importance of following election laws and have warned of consequences for officials who do not comply.
During the 2020 election, there were claims of election fraud in several battleground states, leading to heightened scrutiny and concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Could you please rewrite this for me?
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