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The Department of Justice plans to triple the number of monitors during next week’s high-stakes midterms that will determine control of Congress. Around 1,000 monitors will reportedly be deployed across all 50 states, amounting to the department’s largest election monitoring operation to date.
Election integrity shortcomings have been a thorn in President Donald Trump’s side for years, and as such, his administration is taking unprecedented steps to oversee the November 3 elections. Officials have already requested voter-registration data and strongly urged states to adopt stricter security processes.
But red and blue states alike are frustrated with the administration’s approach, arguing the effort exceeds federal authority. Some local officials have already pushed back on the DOJ’s monitoring efforts, sending their own people to observe the DOJ monitors.
DOJ Monitors: The Plan
While the DOJ has notified some states about where monitors will be sent, the full details won’t be disclosed until Election Day. Once on the ground, though, monitors will observe the voting process and report any potential election-related violations. The department is expected to target densely populated areas and locations with a history of election security issues.
The program isn’t new — it’s been around for decades to help enforce civil rights laws. "It's a program that has had a lot of success in uncovering instances of discrimination," explained Nicole Hansen of the Campaign Legal Center.
Support vs. Suppression
Still, some states are concerned that federal monitors could interfere with the voting process rather than help ensure it goes off without a hitch. In response, they’re sending in their own monitors to keep an eye on the DOJ’s monitors, the notion being that state-appointed monitors pose no such threat to the voting process — only the federal ones do.
California’s Democrat attorney general, Rob Bonta, accused the federal government of being “the source of interference.” “They are the ones that are intimidating and creating the suppression,” Bonta added.
Both California and Minnesota are reportedly preparing to deploy their own observers, who will work in pairs and shadow the DOJ’s monitors. In Nevada, local police will remove DOJ monitors who break the rules or refuse to leave when asked, according to top election official Cisco Aguilar, a Democrat. Justice Department officials, however, have dismissed states’ concerns as nothing more than fear-mongering.
Kiersten Pels, a DOJ spokesperson, said the department is training its monitors not to disrupt the voting process. Monitors will concentrate on countering voter intimidation efforts while protecting access to the polls.
Track Record
The Justice Department monitored polling places in more than half a dozen states during this year’s primary season. A handful of disputes were reported, including one in Wyoming where monitors were “a bit aggressive” and “irregular,” according to GOP Gov. Mark Gordon. “Voters deserve absolute confidence that their ballots are secure and their voices are heard without interference,” said Darin Smith, US attorney for Wyoming. “We are working alongside local officials to ensure every lawful vote is protected.”
At the end of the day, everyone’s goal should be to ensure voting can occur without interference or intimidation. With both federal and state authorities keeping an eye on the polls next Tuesday, you’d think everyone would be satisfied. Apparently not.
