Attorney General plans to ramp up staff dedicated to protecting voting rights

▪ On Friday, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland laid out a plan for protecting voting rights.

▪ Garland announced the Justice Department would double the Civil Rights Division staff dedicated to protecting voting rights.

▪ The plan also includes more scrutiny on new state laws that seek to curb voter access and take action if there is a federal law violation.

▪ Garland stated, “We are scrutinizing new laws that seek to curb voter access, and where we see violations, we will not hesitate to act. We are also scrutinizing current laws and practices in order to determine whether they discriminate against Black voters and other voters of color.”

▪ Garland also stated the department would scrutinize “post-election audits to ensure they abide by federal statutory requirements to protect election records and avoid the intimidation of voters.”