Federal election monitors are on the ground in Miami-Dade County as part of the largest deployment in U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) history.

The DOJ announced Tuesday, Nov. 3, that it sent approximately 1,000 monitors and observers to all 50 states for the first time, according to a department press release. The effort is coordinated by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division.

Five Florida counties made the list: Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough and Leon. Florida ranked among the states with the most monitored jurisdictions, alongside Michigan with eight, Texas with seven, and Georgia and Illinois with six each, The Center Square reported.

The monitors include Civil Rights Division personnel, staff from other DOJ components, U.S. Attorney's Office employees and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, according to the press release. Division personnel will maintain contact with state and local election officials throughout Election Day.

What monitors are checking

Monitors are checking compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts, the DOJ said. The department's Disability Rights Section is enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to ensure voters with disabilities have equal access. Its Criminal Section is enforcing statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in the department's statement that election integrity has been one of the top priorities for the administration and the division. She called the deployment an effort to pursue transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.

Concerns raised

The deployment raised concerns among some voting-rights groups and local election officials. USA Today reported that groups including the NAACP said they believe the monitors could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority communities.

USA Today also reported that in states with closely contested Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high levels of Black and Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data. The department did not send monitors exclusively to such areas, however.

Some local officials pushed back. Josh Zygielbaum, the Adams County clerk and recorder in Colorado, told USA Today, "We've never had any complaints … We've never had any charges filed."

Axios reported the deployment came after courts repeatedly rejected DOJ efforts to force states to restrict voting for alleged noncitizens.

Not a new practice

The DOJ has sent election monitors since the Voting Rights Act was enacted in 1965. A department spokesperson told the Miami Herald that the DOJ sent monitors to nine jurisdictions during the 2022 primaries and to 27 jurisdictions in 2024. During this year's primary season, the department deployed more than 75 monitors across five states and at more than 200 polling locations, the Herald reported.

How to report problems

Voters with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call the DOJ's election hotline at 1-800-253-3931 or email [email protected]. ADA-related concerns can be directed to 1-800-514-0301. Complaints about violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported to local police by calling 911 first, then to the DOJ.