Washington County Bars DOJ Monitors From Polling Sites

The Washington County Election Commission unanimously voted on Monday to deny a request from the U.S. Department of Justice to place federal election monitors inside polling locations for the November 3 general election. Commissioners cited a lack of logical reasoning for the county's selection and the Department of Justice's failure to provide 60 days' notice.

Federal monitors are still permitted to visit the area but must remain at least 100 feet from polling sites to comply with state electioneering laws. The deployment is part of a national effort by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division to send over 1,000 monitors across all 50 states to observe compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In Arkansas, the Department of Justice targeted Washington and Pulaski counties, planning to deploy between six and twelve monitors. While Washington County officials blocked indoor access, Pulaski County election officials are scheduled to discuss a similar request on Thursday. Arkansas Secretary of State Cole Jester expressed no objection to the federal monitoring, stating that transparency is essential to maintaining public trust.