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FEDERAL OBSERVERS TO MONITOR ELECTIONS IN NEW YORK

WASHINGTON, D.C. The Justice Department will send 15 federal observers to Bronx County, New York to monitor the municipal primary runoff election on October 11, 2001. The federal observers will monitor polling place activities and New York City's compliance with Spanish language election procedures.

In addition, Justice Department personnel will monitor the New York City municipal primary runoff election in New York County, focusing on compliance with Chinese language election procedures.

Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of Americans to participate in the electoral process without discrimination , the Justice Department is authorized to ask the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to send federal observers to areas that are specifically covered in the Act.

The observers, who are supervised by OPM, will watch and record activities during voting hours at select polling locations. Justice Department attorneys will coordinate the federal activities and maintain contact with local election officials.

To file complaints about discriminatory voting practices in this election, voters may call the federal examiner at 1-888-496-9455. Complaints about discriminatory voting practices may also be made by calling the Voting Section of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division at 1-800-253-3931.