Delco GOP honcho Andy Reilly tells me that the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division has notified the county that it intends send federal monitors to the Thornbury Township polling place. Why? That's not clear. But Cheyney University students vote there. And if I had to guess, it's because the Obama Administration suspects some sort of voter suppression effort.

It can't be because Eric Holder's DOJ is concerned that voter fraud might be committed. Right?

Democrats and other critics of the Pa.'s new voter ID law have complained that the state has been vocal enough about the court ruling post-poning the law from going into effect and are concerned that
Democratic voters will be confused about what their voting rights are. More to the point, Obama supporters are paranoid that poll workers will misinform would-be Obama voters about their right to vote.

As during the primary, voters will be asked for a picture ID but will not require one to be presented in order to vote.

Reilly said Chester County got the same notice. He doesn't care for the implication and is not even sure that what Holder's feds want to do is legal. When it comes to voting issues, the feds only have jurisdiction over states that have in the past shown a disregard for minority voting rights. Pennsylvania has no such history, unless you count the New Black Panthers who showed up at a Philly polling place in full combat regalia in 2008. They were never prosecuted.

More later.

UPDATE: I called and emailed DOJ attorney Dan Freeman, the author of the letter to Delaware County asking for the reasoning behind the monitoring effort. I will report back when and if I hear from him.

In the meantime, Reilly tells me that radio talk show host Dom Giordano is all over it.  

UPDATE II: Here's a copy of the letter. Check the date. Trick or Treat?  By the way, Reilly says he asked if anyone locally raised concerns or asked for federal monitoring and DOJ said no.

UPDATE III: Feds are headed to Ohio as well, ostensibly to make sure no votes are suppressed OR stolen.

UPDATE IV: Can't get photocopy of letter to image up.