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Surging federal officials to the polls can be a way of influencing the election results, according to Catherine Lhamon, the director of the Edley Center on Law and Democracy at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law. "There are a lot of people who have a lot of fear of federal officials," Lhamon explained. “The mere fact of having poll monitors present can discourage voters from standing in the line, showing up to vote, and exercising that precious right.” She added that it can also create a false impression about the accuracy of the election proceedings. "It's a significant thumb on the scale to indicate to the community you might be doing something wrong," Lhamon said.
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