State will observe federal election monitors outside primary polling places Tuesday

The federal government is sending election monitors to the Twin Cities to observe the primary election Tuesday.

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said the Department of Justice is sending monitors to ensure Minnesotans with disabilities or who speak languages other than English don’t face any barriers while voting.

“This has been done the last several election cycles under multiple presidents, including President Biden, and Minnesotans may well have voted at a polling place with a federal observer there and not even noticed a thing,” Simon said. “But I certainly understand why reports of agents of the federal government at the polls would alarm people, especially here in Minnesota.”

Simon said the DOJ asked Hennepin and Ramsey counties to let the monitors inside polling places, but the counties declined. The monitors will have to stay 100 feet from polling locations and voters do not have to speak to them. Simon said his office will be working with the Attorney General’s Office to monitor the federal observers.

He said federal monitors have observed primaries in other states without incident.

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office said the DOJ said it planned to focus on Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis, but may visit other cities.

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