WASHINGTON — Russia wants to send observers to U.S. polling places this Election Day, Channel 2 Action News has learned.
At least three states recently denied a request from Russia to send its own observers to watch voting at polling places.%
%
Election officials in Oklahoma, Texas and Louisiana confirm to us the request was made through letters sent by a Russian consulate.
In similarly worded letters to the three states, the Consulate General of Russia of Houston asks to be present "for a short period of time, when convenient at just one of the ballot station in each state” to study the voting process.
Texas and Oklahoma said no because it's against state law for unauthorized people to monitor polling stations.
The Louisiana Secretary of State cited the recent flooding in Baton Rouge leaving him short staffed. Their spokesman called the request nothing suspicious.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Lead detective takes the stand in the hot car death trial
- US Marshal hit by car in southwest Atlanta
- Roswell city councilman arrested on child sex charges
“It’s not unusual to have countries monitor other countries' elections and the U.S. has had other countries monitoring other elections,” said James Goldgeier, dean of the American University School of International Service.
The State Department told Channel 2 Action News it's not involved. The decision to allow foreign observers is up the states.
A department official noted that the State Department observed Russian parliamentary elections just last month and thinks this is some sort of public-relations stunt.
“It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if the Russians, just to add fuel to the fire of what’s going, would ask for something like this,” Goldgeier told Channel 2 Action News.
Two international organizations will be sending hundreds of people to battleground states Nov. 8.
Earlier this month, government officials acknowledged they believe Russia is interfering with our election process, saying it was behind the WikiLeaks release of emails from the Democratic National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign.
Channel 2 Action News asked the Georgia Secretary of State if he received a similar request from the office but we have not gotten an answer yet.
Cox Media Group
