Justice Department election monitors visit Sitka as part of nationwide check

The U.S. Department of Justice dispatched officials to 64 election jurisdictions in 24 states to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws in last week’s midterm elections — including Sitka, Bethel, Dillingham and the Kusilvak Census Area in Western Alaska.

The election monitors included lawyers from the Justice Department civil rights division and U.S. attorney’s offices across the nation.

Federal authorities said such monitoring is a regular occurrence around election day, but this year especially civil rights groups and others have raised alarm over potential voter intimidation at s...