DOJ Deploys Election Monitors to 15 Jurisdictions in Six States

The United States Department of Justice is deploying election monitors to 15 jurisdictions across six states—Arizona, Michigan, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and Virginia—for the September 8 primary elections. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon stated the initiative aims to increase voter confidence, ensure voting accuracy, and eliminate language and accessibility barriers for disabled voters. Dhillon described the deployment as a routine practice of the Civil Rights Division.

In Massachusetts, monitors will be sent to Boston and New Bedford. Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office characterized the Boston monitoring as routine and related to federal language requirements, though the office noted it was only aware of monitors going to Boston. New Bedford officials, who previously faced issues with Republican ballot availability during the 2024 presidential primary, welcomed the observers despite not receiving official communication from the DOJ.

In New Hampshire, monitors will be stationed in Manchester and Nashua. This move follows a June 29 ruling by U.S. District Judge Joseph Laplante, who dismissed a DOJ lawsuit seeking unredacted voter registration lists from the state. While New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan welcomed the federal observers, he maintained his refusal to produce the registration data, citing state statutes. Simultaneously, Dhillon sent warning letters to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, asserting that officials could face criminal liability for facilitating noncitizen voting.