The 28 Counties the Justice Department Is Monitoring for Voting Rights Violations

This Election Day marks the first major federal election since the Supreme Court overturned key provisions of the Voting Rights Act last summer, giving some states the power to regulate elections without federal oversight. The feds, however, are not stepping back from the ballot box entirely.

The Justice Department has dispatched monitors from its civil-rights division to polling places in 28 jurisdictions in 18 states. The states include Arizona, Georgia, South Carolina, and Texas—all states that were previously required to receive permission from the federal government to make changes to their voting laws due to a history of racial discrimination.

The poll monitors will "gather information on, among other things, whether voters are subject to different voting qualifications or procedures on the basis of race, color, or membership in a language minority group." They will also be checking on the availability of resources for people with disabilities.

Here's the full list of counties, by state:

Arizona
Maricopa County

California
Alameda County
Napa County

Florida
Duval County
Hillsborough County
Lee County
Orange County

Georgia
Fulton County
Gwinnett County

Illinois
Chicago

Kansas
Finney County

North Carolina
Robeson County

Nebraska
Colfax County
Douglas County

New Jersey
Bergen County

New Mexico
Cibola County

New York
Orange County

Ohio
Cuyahoga County
Hamilton County
Lorain County

Pennsylvania
Lehigh County

South Carolina
Richland County

South Dakota
Charles Mix County
Shannon County

Tennessee
Shelby County

Texas
Harris County
Waller County

Wisconsin
Milwaukee

The Justice Department is also asking citizens in all polling stations across the country to report any complaints about their voting experience, and it's giving them four different ways to do so: Voters can call, fax, email, or submit a form on the department's website.

(Image via Derek Hatfield/Shutterstock.com)