DETROIT -- The United States Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in Four Michigan cities this primary election day.

The DOJ states this is to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.

The monitoring will be done through the Civil Rights Division, which enforces federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all eligible citizens to access the ballot.

“Our primary monitoring efforts continue today as we seek to ensure free and fair elections nationwide,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is devoting extensive resources to ensure uniform and nondiscriminatory monitoring. We appreciate the cooperation of these jurisdictions in promoting trust and transparency.”

The DOJ will be monitoring polling sites in Detroit, Hamtramck, Lansing, and East Lansing with staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Michigan’s U.S. Attorney’s Offices for both the Western and Eastern districts.

DOJ officials say this initiative aims to promote transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors.

You can find more information on the initiative via the DOJ website.