On the final day of voting in the 2026 midterm elections, the Justice Department rolled out what it calls the largest election monitoring effort in its history: roughly 1,000 election monitors and observers deployed across the country, and for the first time ever, in all 50 states.
The department announced the deployment early Tuesday morning, Nov. 3, as polls opened from coast to coast with control of both the House and the Senate on the line.
“Largest monitoring effort in history”
In its statement, the Justice Department said one of its most important missions is “ensuring election integrity, supporting free and fair elections, and protecting the right to vote for U.S. citizens across the United States.” It noted that the department has sent election monitors to polling places under every administration since the Voting Rights Act was passed in 1965.
“Today, the DOJ will further this mission by engaging in its largest monitoring effort in history—with approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers deployed, and, for the first time, in all 50 states,” the department said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the Civil Rights Division coordinating the effort, said: “I am very proud we are deploying the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history, and pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.”
Who the monitors are and what they’ll do
According to the department, the monitors include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other DOJ divisions and components, and U.S. Attorney’s Offices, along with federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. Division staff will stay in contact with state and local election officials throughout Election Day.
The monitors will check for compliance with federal voting laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reuters reported that the number of monitors is roughly triple the number sent during the last midterm election.
Where they’re going
The department published a list of the cities and counties it plans to monitor or observe. Among them are some of the biggest battlegrounds in the country, including Maricopa County in Arizona; Fulton, Cobb, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties in Georgia; Detroit, Flint, Dearborn and Grand Rapids in Michigan; Philadelphia and Allegheny County in Pennsylvania; Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin; Clark County in Nevada; and Los Angeles County in California, plus Chicago, Harris County in Texas, and many more.
A court fight on the eve of the election
The deployment survived a last-minute legal challenge. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington, D.C., rejected an emergency request from civil rights groups, including the NAACP, to limit the monitoring program, finding the groups had not put forward sufficient evidence that the monitors would intimidate voters, according to ABC News.
Some local election officials and voting rights groups have voiced concerns about the size of the effort. Several states issued guidance to poll workers explaining the limited role of the federal observers, who cannot conduct on-the-spot investigations or stop anyone from voting. In court on Monday, a department official estimated the actual number could be closer to 900 because of the time needed to identify and train personnel.
What it means for today
With more than 54 million Americans having already voted early and polls closing tonight starting at 6 p.m. ET, the federal government will have eyes on polling places in every state for the first time. Supporters of the move say it is about one thing: making sure every legal vote is cast and counted fairly.
If you haven’t voted yet, polls are open now. Make your voice heard.