TAMPA, Fla. — The state of Florida has no plans to use law enforcement officers as poll watchers in the upcoming November election.
That's according to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was in Tampa on Thursday to talk local business at Port Tampa Bay.
The governor was asked for his thoughts on President Donald Trump's recent interview on Fox News, where he claimed his administration would send "sheriffs," "law enforcement" and "hopefully, U.S. attorneys" to polling places in November.
The interview was Aug. 20 with Fox News' Sean Hannity, who asked the president if there are any plans in place to have poll watchers to "monitor" and "cross-check registered voters."
"We're going to have sheriffs, we're going to have law enforcement," Trump said. "We're going to have hopefully U.S. attorneys...and attorney generals."
Federal law prohibits voter intimidation at the polls. 18 U.S. Code § 592 makes it illegal for any U.S. government official to send "troops or armed men to any place where a general or special election is held."
Violation of that law can mean imprisonment and disqualification from "holding any office of honor, profit, or trust under the United States."
The president has little power to send law enforcement officers to polling places, but civil rights advocates worry his words could inspire local law enforcement leaders to send police to the polls, according to the Washington Post. The newspaper also cited a 1980s GOP program that sent off-duty officers to mostly Black and Latino areas in New Jersey.
The Democratic Party accused the GOP of voter intimidation in a 1981 lawsuit.
Florida's governor was asked about his position on the matter and whether it's something that would be considered come November.
"We don't have any plans to be using them (law enforcement) as poll watchers," DeSantis said.
DeSantis said the people working polling places on election day are volunteer civilians and state employees.
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