'Very few people will encounter issues': Voting Rights expert on election monitors

The federal government has started notifying counties it plans to monitor on Election Day. The Minnesota Secretary of State's office confirmed the Department of Justice sent monitor notifications to Hennepin and Ramsey counties in Minnesota.

The DOJ said it would send election monitors to those counties during the primaries in August – but the counties chose to go with local observers instead.

“The primary thing that federal monitors are doing when they go to observe elections taking place at polling places is to make sure that civil rights laws are being enforced,” said Andrew Garber, senior counsel at the Brennan Center's Voting Rights and Elections Program. “That means making sure that all voters are able to vote equally without any hurdles getting in their way, free from intimidation.”

Garber says observers generally take notes and monitor whether things are going as they should. He says if there was anything concerning, they can then decide whether to take future action.

“Voters should remember they have multiple options to vote,” Garber said. “The administration may focus on particular jurisdictions, but ultimately, very few people will encounter issues. I would encourage people to be spending their time now, with the election so close, thinking about how they want to vote, looking into options.”

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

• A new disturbing, heartbreaking book centers on Anishinaabe culture in Minnesota
• Minnesota governor hopefuls align against tax increases, split over who has best future vision
• Key moments from the first debate in Minnesota’s open U.S. Senate race