I’m sipping my coffee and reading about the latest plans from President Trump and his allies to monitor the upcoming election, and I have to say, it’s quite the story. Apparently, they’re aiming to send over 1,000 monitors to polling places on Election Day, which is being touted as the “biggest DOJ election observer effort in history.” I’m not sure what’s more surprising, the scale of the effort or the fact that some of these monitors have previously helped challenge Trump’s 2020 election loss. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon seems to think this is a good idea, but I’m not so sure.
The Justice Department says it will dispatch these monitors to ensure the integrity of the election, but some people are concerned that this could lead to disputes or challenges to the results. I can understand why – it’s not exactly reassuring to have people watching your every move at the polls. And what’s with the Republican National Committee training “special monitors” to scrutinize voting machines? It sounds like they’re looking for any excuse to cry foul.
The RNC is also planning to monitor the voting machines, which has raised some eyebrows. They’re telling their volunteers to record serial numbers, inspect security seals, and photograph results tapes – it’s like they’re trying to find a needle in a haystack. And if they do find something, they’ll report it to the party’s legal team through a special hotline. I’m not sure what’s more alarming, the fact that they’re doing this or the fact that they think it’s necessary.
It’s worth noting that most jurisdictions that hosted DOJ monitors during the primaries reported no issues with their presence. But there was an incident in Wyoming where federal observers were accused of disruptive behavior by Republican officials in the state. Maybe they just got a little too enthusiastic about their monitoring duties?
The episode in Wyoming highlights the potential for tensions to flare up, even in a red state. The DOJ monitors were quizzing election staff about their protocols and demanding information about the voting machines, which didn’t sit well with local officials. I can see why – it’s not exactly a comfortable feeling to have someone breathing down your neck while you’re trying to do your job.
The RNC is defending its operation, saying that its election integrity teams have previously identified testing errors in Virginia that were later corrected. But some people are concerned that this could lead to more incidents, even minor errors or baseless claims of fraud, being elevated and used to reinforce claims that US elections are not secure. It’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem – are they looking for problems because they think there are problems, or are they just looking for problems in general?
Tammy Patrick, chief program officer for the National Association of Election Officials, seems to think that this is all a bit much. She said that election officials have told her it’s like they’re “showing up looking for the body.” I can see why – it’s not exactly a positive or constructive approach to ensuring election integrity.
In the end, it’s hard to say what will come of all this. Will the monitors find any evidence of fraud or irregularities? Probably not, but you never know. What’s more likely is that this will all just add to the hype and hysteria surrounding the election. Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, and now we’re all talking about it. As I finish my coffee, I’m left wondering what other surprises this election season has in store for us. One thing’s for sure – it’ll be an interesting ride.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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