Justice Department reaches agreement with county for voter system

The U.S. Justice Department says it has reached a consent decree with Pulaski County officials over the way county officials run elections. The county agrees to fix problems with its voter registration database and the Justice Department retained the right to monitor elections. Federal officials said their lawyers will monitor voting procedures inside polling places and the clerk`s office on election nights. The agreement comes two weeks after Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley dropped a lawsuit seeking the removal of County Clerk Carolyn Staley. Staley did NOT file papers for re-election during a two-week filing period. A special grand jury last year issued a report accusing Staley of mismanaging elections and said she should be removed from office for incompetence and failing to perform her duties. The grand jury convened initially to look into widespread problems in the November 2002 election.