DOJ sends 1,000 election monitors
The gist
The US Justice Department plans about 1,000 election monitors in all 50 states, a first.
State officials question the scope as the full list of monitored sites stays undisclosed.
How it unfolded
- Aug 18, 2026The DOJ announces plans to deploy a record 1,000 federal monitors to polling places nationwide for the midterms, seeking federal employees including people in U.S. Attorney's Offices to volunteer.
- Aug 28, 2026Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, calls the monitors' actions "very odd" after DOJ personnel watched voting in the state's primary election.
- Sep 22, 2026Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon says the DOJ is close to fully enlisting the 1,000 monitors, describing them as department lawyers and other trained legal staff.