DOJ Deploys Record Monitors as Texas Republicans Sue for Hand Count

The United States Department of Justice launched its largest election monitoring operation in history on November 3, 2026, deploying approximately 1,000 monitors and observers across all 50 states. Coordinated by the Civil Rights Division, the effort focuses on compliance with the Voting Rights Act and protections against voter intimidation and suppression. In Texas, monitors were specifically deployed to Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Waller, Blanco, Bowie, and Nueces counties.

Simultaneously, the Potter County Republican Party and Chairman Daniel Rogers filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas seeking a mandatory manual hand count of paper ballots in every precinct before the November 3 election is certified. The plaintiffs argue that electronic voting systems using barcodes or QR codes are vulnerable to artificial intelligence interference, software errors, and supply-chain issues. Several organizations, including the NAACP Texas State Conference and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have moved to intervene as defendants, arguing that a statewide hand count would risk errors and delays.

While U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk has set deadlines for responses through November 9, no injunction has been granted, and sample-based audit procedures remain in effect. These legal challenges coincide with record-breaking early turnout in Texas, with preliminary counts showing over 7.7 million ballots cast. Additionally, federal prosecutors recently charged 33 foreign nationals across Texas and California with immigration-document or election-related offenses.