State and local Republican officials in Florida and Missouri will not allow officials from the Justice Department into polling places to monitor compliance with federal laws, in a controversy that at first blush seems like a political stunt from the Republicans involved.

In every recent general election, the Justice Department has sent some personnel to selected counties and cities to monitor whether federal voting rights laws are being upheld. The DOJ did this in 2016 under Obama, in 2018 and 2020 under Trump, and are now doing so in 2022 under Biden.

As in previous years, locations on the list include some key counties in swing states like Georgia, Arizona, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, as well as some uncompetitive states and cities. The Justice Department did not explain why any particular jurisdiction made it on to the list. But the general topics they could be looking into include: ...