Extra Eyes Examine Dallas County Voting: Federal Monitors Are Here

Federal election monitors are on the ground in Dallas and Harris counties as early voting begins for the 2012 presidential election.

Dallas County Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole says it’s not uncommon for the Department of Justice to send monitors. She says there were here four years ago, and brought at least one complaint to her attention.

“They brought that complaint up to us that a location was no providing provisional ballots to voters; just turning them away,” said Pippins-Poole. “So, we got that information and we immediately corrected that.”

Pippins-Poole says a precinct judge did not understand the rules. She says the federal monitors will show up at random early voting locations and precincts on Election Day, as well as respond to specific complaints.

Texas gets additional federal scrutiny as a state subject to the Voting Rights Act, designed to prevent voter discrimination or oppression.