The Department of Justice announced Friday that it will deploy monitors in 27 states, including all seven battleground states, on Election Day to “ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws.”
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will coordinate this effort across 86 jurisdictions, marking the largest number of election monitors since 2004—a 49% increase from 2020, according to The Washington Post.
“Monitors will include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other department divisions, U.S. Attorney’s Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Throughout Election Day, division personnel will maintain contact with state and local election officials,” the Justice Department said.
This announcement comes amid heightened concerns over voter intimidation, election worker safety, and recent arson attacks on ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington. However, no DOJ monitors are planned for either of those states.
Republican leaders in three states have opposed federal monitors entering polling locations. During the 2022 midterms, officials in Florida and Missouri barred federal monitors from polling places, while Texas officials have signaled similar opposition this year.
“This certainly has become politicized,” Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft told the Post. “The Department of Justice lied when they came in and used pretenses to try to bully their way in when they knew what they were doing was not legal.”
Despite this, the DOJ confirmed that it will be sending monitors to all three states on Election Day.
