The board said it received notice Oct. 21. Lake County is the other county selected, out of Indiana’s 92 counties. Marion County Clerk Kate Sweeney Bell said local officials were not told what prompted the selection, what criteria were used or why those two counties were chosen.

The board has been told only that the monitors will observe election procedures for compliance with federal law. It recently approved guidance for poll workers on how to handle interactions with Department of Justice officials and other federal agents, and has trained workers on the policy.

“Election integrity is paramount,” Sweeney Bell said, adding that it includes ensuring eligible voters can cast ballots and protecting them from intimidation or disruption under state and federal law.

U.S. Rep. André Carson, a Democrat whose district includes Indianapolis, criticized the federal decision. He said the two counties have among the state’s largest populations of Democratic, Black and Hispanic voters and argued that their selection was politically motivated. Those claims were not accompanied by evidence in his statement. The Department of Justice’s stated purpose, as relayed by the county board, is to observe compliance with federal election law; the board said it had not received an explanation for the selection.

The federal observers’ presence does not transfer responsibility for running Marion County elections. Carson said the county clerk remains responsible, and urged residents to vote early. Early voting is available at the City-County Building, with additional locations scheduled to open beginning the weekend of Oct. 24, according to his statement. Voters can find location information at vote.indy.gov.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.