DOJ Deploys Election Monitors to South Dakota and Tennessee

The United States Department of Justice is deploying federal election monitors to polling locations in Tennessee and Minnehaha County, South Dakota, for the 2026 midterm elections. The monitors are tasked with ensuring compliance with national voting and accessibility rights and investigating potential fraud. In South Dakota, Secretary of State Monae Johnson announced the deployment, while Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett emphasized that monitors are strictly observers who cannot touch ballots or direct poll workers.

The deployment has faced legal and civil challenges. Following a lawsuit by the NAACP, the Department of Justice announced that agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not serve as monitors to avoid voter intimidation. However, employees from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons remain eligible. The Trump administration maintains that these oversight measures are necessary for public confidence in the vote.

Concerns regarding voter intimidation persist. Samantha Chapman of the South Dakota ACLU warned that monitors might improperly demand proof of citizenship. In response, Minnehaha County Auditor Leah Anderson stated that monitors will not be obtrusive and will only question voters after they have cast their ballots. Meanwhile, in Montgomery County, Tennessee, Election Administrator Amanda Joslin clarified that eligible voters can use a Record of Assistance form to receive help at the polls.