Attorney General Merrick Garland vows Justice Department ‘will not permit voters to be intimidated’ ahead of midterms

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday vowed that the US Justice Department “will not permit voters to be intimidated” during November’s midterm elections.

“The Justice Department has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by everyone who’s qualified to vote and will not permit voters to be intimidated,” Garland said during a press briefing.

More than seven million ballots have already been cast across 39 states as of Monday, according to data from election officials, Edison Research and Catalist. But with just two weeks until November 8, multiple reports of voter intimidation out of Arizona – home to some of this year’s most pivotal contests up and down the ballot – have stirred concern.