Missouri, Texas judges reject requests to block monitoring of Presidential polls

The judges of two US states -- Missouri and Texas, have denied requests to stop the US Justice Department (DOJ) from sending lawyers to monitor compliance with federal voting laws in the US Presidential polls. The requests were made by the Republican-led states. While Missouri argued that sending monitors intended to "displace state election authorities", Texas had said that sending monitors "infringes on States' constitutional authority to run free and fair elections."

Notably, sending staff out to monitor voting locations has been regular practice for national elections, reported news agency Reuters.

The locations the DOJ ordered to be monitored on Election Day include key counties in the seven battleground states largely expected to decide the election results. The department, however, is also planning to send people to monitor sites in other places like Texas, Massachusetts, Alaska, South Dakota and New Jersey.

Notably, neither Missouri nor Texas are considered amongst the seven battleground swing states.

The DOJ order came early on Tuesday by federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump, to confirm that “no observers” would be present in polling locations in Texas. Furthermore, the judge denied the state’s request to issue restraining orders.

"The Court cannot issue a temporary restraining order without further clarification on the distinction between 'monitoring' and 'observing' on the eve of a consequential election," Kacsmaryk said in his ruling.

The lawsuit filed by Texas argued that “under the state law, the list of persons who may be present in voting locations or central counting stations does not include federal authorities."

On the other hand, the lawsuit filed by the state of Missouri had accused the DOJ of making a last minute plan intending to "displace state election authorities" by sending monitors.

Missouri District Judge Sarah Pitlyk denied the state’s request for a temporary restraining order on Monday, noting that “the harms that the State of Missouri anticipates are speculative.”

Former president Donald Trump, who is facing Vice President Kamala Harris in the US presidential election, has been urging his supporters to turn out at polling locations to watch for fraud. Trump continues to falsely claim that his defeat in the 2020 election was a result of widespread election fraud.