Representatives from civil rights groups and watchdog organizations met with Justice Department officials earlier this month to discuss worries over voter fraud and intimidation in the coming election. As a result of that meeting, the Justice Department has announced that criminal prosecutors will not be monitoring the polls on election day — critics have said that the decades-long practice of using prosecutors as poll monitors intimidates voters.

"In light of questions we have been asked regarding who will serve as election monitors, I want to inform the public that no criminal prosecutors will be utilized as election monitors on Election Day this year," acting Assistant Attorney General Grace Chung Becker said in a statement. She added: "This decision was made as a precaution and is not the result of any instance of intimidation or complaint regarding any specific incident."

The department will still station federal monitors at polls, they just won't be criminal prosecutors. [MSNBC]