Election Day: 40,000 monitors to watch polls as federal presence expands
State Democratic parties and Common Cause are deploying roughly 26,000 volunteers, while the Justice Department sends about 1,000 staff to observe voting across all 50 states.
By Anthony Shevchenko ·
Election Day will feature a dense layer of observers at polling places nationwide, with thousands of volunteers from Democratic and nonprofit groups joining a federal monitoring effort that officials describe as the largest in history. State Democratic parties have trained an estimated 10,000 volunteers to stand watch at voting locations. Common Cause, a government watchdog organization, has trained approximately 16,000 additional volunteers. Suzanne Almeida, vice president of states for Common Cause, stated that a broader coalition of 300 groups has trained tens of thousands more individuals to report potentially concerning activities.
The Justice Department is deploying about 1,000 staff members to observe voting and ensure compliance with federal laws. Spokesperson Kiersten Pels said the department plans to send monitors to every state, with a focus on high-population areas, jurisdictions with past problems, and districts with close elections. This follows a primary season in which the department deployed more than 100 election monitors across hundreds of polling locations. Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, told CBS’ “60 Minutes” that there is no plan to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling places.
Republican-aligned groups are also increasing their presence. The Republican National Committee is deploying “election integrity deputy state directors” in 22 states, including Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, and North Carolina. Ally Triolo, the RNC’s election integrity communications director, said these workers will recruit volunteers and organize trainings. The RNC has enlisted nearly 22,000 poll workers and is recruiting additional volunteers for competitive districts. Triolo said these poll watchers will observe the process and help ensure election rules are followed.
Democratic leaders are preparing for potential interference from the federal government. Jane Kleeb, vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, said the party created a first-of-its-kind cybersecurity unit staffed by former CIA and FBI officials to monitor online misinformation and artificial intelligence deepfakes. She noted that the party is dealing with a president who has threatened to seize ballots and place ICE agents outside polling locations. Democratic mayors, attorneys general, and secretaries of state are hosting tabletop exercises simulating worst-case scenarios, such as a surge of immigration officials at voting sites.
Concerns about the scale of the operation have led some officials to worry about unintentional chaos outside polling locations. Almeida said confusion is possible in some precincts but argued that the nature of the threat requires a collective effort. “It will actually take all of us if some of the threats we are most worried about come to pass,” she said. Chris Swope, the city clerk in Lansing, Michigan, said he contacted law enforcement and his attorney preemptively in case federal monitors violate election law.
The Democratic Mayors Association issued guidance to local officials with detailed instructions for if federal agents appear at polling locations. The guidance notes that federal law prohibits the presence of federal immigration agents, the FBI, or other investigative personnel. It also states that federal agents are not allowed to be armed at the polls, interact with voters, or handle ballots or election equipment. White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis blamed “radical Democrats” for creating fears about election security by refusing to enact voter ID requirements.
The Justice Department has filed lawsuits in California and Alaska that could affect ballot counting or certification. Administration and military officials have said they have no plans to deploy immigration agents or troops to polling sites, though President Trump has continued to make allegations of cheating. Trump told a reporter recently that department monitors in Georgia are “not going to do anything other than watch.”
Some observation efforts have already begun. Mary Corcoran, executive director of Save America, said her group's volunteers have been monitoring precincts during early voting in Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, and Ohio. Corcoran said, “The fear is the point, and we must do something about it.” She added that fear can keep people home without a single agent setting foot at a polling place.
