The Department of Justice is training roughly 1,000 poll monitors to fan out across the country this November, a massive federal effort to ensure the upcoming midterm elections are conducted fairly and free from fraud.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon confirmed the deployment in recent remarks, emphasizing that election integrity remains a top White House priority. The monitors will observe polling locations, ensure compliance with election laws, and follow up on investigations into suspected irregularities.
“We just did it in the primary. We will do it to the tune of approximately 1,000 election monitors in the November election,” Dhillon said. “This is something that DOJ does.”
The administration is using training materials from previous administrations, Dhillon noted, signaling continuity in federal election oversight while dramatically scaling up the effort for what promises to be a highly contested midterm cycle.
“Elections that all Americans can feel confident in is a high priority of this White House,” Dhillon said. “We really want every American to get out there and vote, and feel confident in the outcome. That’s an important part of it, is not just vote, but also feel like you can accept the outcome of the elections.”
The monitor deployment comes as President Donald Trump continues his push for the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require voters to present identification and proof of citizenship before casting ballots in federal elections. Trump has made the bill a centerpiece of his domestic agenda, framing it as essential to protecting the integrity of American democracy.
During a White House address last week detailing election vulnerabilities, Trump pulled no punches about opponents of the measure.
“The only reason one would not want to pass the SAVE America Act is if you want to cheat, because your policies are so bad and your candidates are so pathetic that you can’t get away or can’t get elected any other way,” the president said. “This landmark bill requires that all voters must show photo voter ID. How simple is that? Could I have your photo, please? Photo voter ID. All voters must provide proof of citizenship.”
Public opinion appears to be squarely on Trump’s side. A recent survey from Tea Party Patriots Action found that a majority of general election voters support the SAVE America Act’s requirements. The support crosses party lines, with a strong majority of Democrats backing proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration and photo ID requirements at the polls.
