Portage County Sheriff Bruce Zuchowski behaved so badly via social media that the U.S. Department of Justice is planning to send in election monitors to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws during early voting and on Election Day.

Remember last month Zuchowski felt comfortable suggesting on social media that households with political signs in their yards supporting Kamala Harris should have their addresses written down. He suggested that, should a Democrat win the presidency, illegal immigrants should be sent to live in those households, and he called those immigrants “human locusts.”

It was an act of political intimidation so reckless it sparked concerns about voters feeling safe during early voting and on Nov. 5.

His office, however, responded to the monitoring by saying “monitoring of voting locations/polls by the DOJ is conducted nationwide and is not unique to Portage County. This is a normal practice by the DOJ.”

In other words, “nothing to see here.”

But the post is just a bit disingenuous. According to the Justice Department, “Voters in Portage County have raised concerns about intimidation resulting from the surveillance and the collection of personal information regarding voters, as well as threats concerning the electoral process.”

Given the stress Ohio communities have been under with rhetoric getting nastier as we hurtle toward this general election, it is understandable that residents might seek the assurance that comes from having federal monitors present to support safe, fair elections. Surely those in Portage County will be determined to see the election pass without any incidents of harassment or intimidation — with or without a federal presence. But it is good to know the extra measures are being taken.

This one means too much to leave anything to chance.