**Republican States Resist Federal Election Monitors on Election Day**

Several Republican-led states are pushing back against the Justice Department's longstanding practice of deploying election monitors to safeguard federal voting laws. Officials in Florida and Texas have declared they will prohibit these federal monitors from entering polling places on the upcoming Election Day. Missouri has escalated the matter by filing a federal lawsuit to bar officials from overseeing polling sites within the state.

Last week, the Justice Department disclosed its plan to send election monitors to 86 jurisdictions across 27 states. These monitors, who are lawyers from the department’s civil rights division and U.S. attorney's offices, are charged with ensuring compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act and policies that protect voters with disabilities.

The rancor centers on a contentious election, where Democratic nominee Kamala Harris faces off against Republican nominee Donald Trump. With both sides anticipating potential legal challenges to vote counts, the federal oversight is intended to ensure a fair process and uphold voting rights.

The lawsuit filed by Missouri's Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft claims that state law restricts access to polling locations to specific individuals, excluding federal officials. Ashcroft accused the federal government of attempting to interfere illegally in Missouri’s elections, reiterating a similar stance from 2022 that led to the Justice Department backing down after being shown state law.

In Texas, Secretary of State Jane Nelson emphasized that Texas law does not permit Justice Department monitors to access polling sites or central counting stations. Florida’s Secretary of State Cord Byrd echoed this sentiment, asserting that state law specifies who can be inside polling sites. Both states have asserted their capacities to ensure a fair election independently.

The Justice Department aims to keep an eye on various key locations known for past election controversies, including Maricopa County in Arizona, Fulton County in Georgia, and Portage County in Ohio. Other jurisdictions include major urban areas such as Detroit, Milwaukee, and Queens, where federal monitors will reportedly be stationed.

In the face of this resistance, the Justice Department remains tight-lipped on its response to Missouri’s lawsuit and the refusals from Texas and Florida. This development sets the stage for a legal and political standoff as Election Day approaches.