Lee County voters will have extra eyes and ears at the polls, as the Department of Justice (DOJ) deploys hundreds of poll watchers across the nation.
Lee County will be one of 28 jurisdictions where poll watchers will be monitoring for civil rights violations.
"I'm not surprised, but it's kind of nice. They've been here before," said Yoseph Tedros, Democratic Party of Lee County, Chairman.
Tedros pointing to the 2012 election when poll watchers were deployed to Lee County by the DOJ.
He told Fox 4 news he isn't expecting issues such as voter intimidation or fraud at the polls but says, due to the heated climate on both sides of the race, poll watchers can't hurt.
"An abundance of caution being here I think is a good thing. We welcome it because, again, we don't anticipate any issues but if there is they will be right here to deal wit it," said Tedros.
President of the non-partisan group, the league of Women Voters of Lee County, told Fox 4 news federal poll watchers have already met with Lee County Supervisor of Elections Sharon Harrington.
"The department of justice met with Sharon Harrington this morning and they have a letter that they can go wherever they want to in Lee County," said Clara Anne Graham.
According to the DOJ, poll watchers will be monitoring "whether voters are subject to different voting qualifications or procedures on the basis of race, color or membership in a language minority group; whether jurisdictions are complying with the minority language provisions of the Voting Rights Act." Personnel will also be looking for whether polling sites are within the National Voter Registration act, as well as the Help America Vote Act.
To assist in these checks, the department has deployed personnel who speak Spanish, and varity of Asian and Native American languages.
Volunteers on both sides who spoke to Fox 4 news welcomed the poll watchers.
"I think it's beneficial to have poll watchers because there have been people purposely intimidating voters," said Laura Liu, Clinton campaign volunteer.
"I think that's an excellent idea because we want the election to be fair and I think that's at the cornerstone of American justice is fairness, and that's all Mr. Trump is asking for," said Raymond Johnson, Trump Campaign volunteer.
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