Florida bars Biden election monitors from polling places

Florida Tuesday refused to allow poll monitors from Biden’s Justice Department to enter polling places in the Sunshine State, instead preferring to use the state’s own monitors to "ensure there is no interference in the voting process." 

The Justice Department intended to send election monitors to 64 jurisdictions across the country – a dramatic increase from 44 jurisdictions in 2020 – among them Florida’s Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Brower counties. 

But in a firm letter to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division Monday, Florida State Department General Counsel Brad McVay stated that Biden's monitors would not be allowed in. 

"Section 102.031(3)(a) of the Florida Statutes lists the people who ‘may enter any polling room or polling place,'" McVay wrote. "Department of Justice personnel are not included on the list." 

“Even if they could qualify as ‘law enforcement’ under section 102.031(3)(a)6. of the Florida Statutes,” McVay argued, “absent some evidence concerning the need for federal intrusion, or some federal statute that preempts Florida law, the presence of federal law enforcement inside polling places would be counterproductive and could potentially undermine confidence in the election.” 

Besides, McVay noted, there was no actual need for federal election monitors. 

“Indeed, your letters do not detail the need for federal monitors in these counties. None of the counties are currently subject to any election-related federal consent decrees. None of the counties have 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. When asked for specific authorization during our phone call this evening, you did not provide any.  

“Accordingly, the Florida Department of State invokes its authority under section 101.58(2) of the Florida Statutes to send its own monitors to the three targeted jurisdictions. These monitors will ensure that there is no interference with the voting process.”