Florida Department of State Says No to Federal Election ‘Monitors’: ‘Not Permitted Under Florida Law’

The Florida Department of State is rejecting the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) plan to send federal election “monitors” to certain counties across the country, including three in the Sunshine State, advising the department that federal monitors are “not permitted under Florida law.”

“Earlier today, the Florida Department of State received copies of your letters to Miami-Dade and Broward Counties in which you seem to indicate that the Department of Justice will send monitors inside polling place sin these counties. We also understand you sent a similar letter to Palm Beach County,” the Florida Department of State letter begins.

“But Department of Justice monitors are not permitted under Florida law,” the letter continues, detailing the section of the Florida Statues that describes who “may enter any polling room or poling place” and noting that DOJ personnel “are not included on the list.” 

The state would need “evidence concerning the need for federal intrusion, or some federal statute that preempts Florida law.” Ultimately, the state concludes that “the presence of federal law enforcement inside polling places would be counterproductive and could potentially undermine confidence in the election.”

Further, the state added the counties are not subject to “election-related federal consent decrees,” nor have they been “accused of violating the rights of language or racial minorities or of the elderly or disabled.”

“Your letters simply provide a non-exhaustive list of federal elections statutes as the basis for this action without pointing to any specific statutory authorization,” the letter adds, noting that the John “Bert” Ross, Deputy Chief & Elections Coordinator, failed to provide any specific authorization during a prior phone call. 

“Accordingly, the Florida Department of State invokes its authority under action 101.58(2) of the Florida Statues to send its own monitors to the three targeted jurisdictions,” it continues, adding that those monitors “will ensure that there is no interference with the voting process”:

The letter follows the DOJ detailing its intent to monitor voting in certain counties across two dozen states, contending the watchers, described as “lawyers who work for the U.S. government,” will supposedly “protect the rights of voters.” The list of jurisdictions includes Florida’s Broward County, Miami-Dade County and Palm Beach County.