Federal election monitors are on the ground in Union County on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as the U.S. Department of Justice carries out what it called its largest monitoring effort in history.
The DOJ announced it deployed approximately 1,000 monitors and observers to all 50 states for the first time in the agency's history. In New Jersey, monitors were assigned to three counties: Union, Middlesex and Bergen, according to the DOJ's announcement.
Parts of Union County fall within the 7th Congressional District, where Republican Tom Kean Jr. faces a challenge from Democrat Rebecca Bennett. Gothamist reported the race is considered among the most competitive in the country as Democrats try to take control of the House.
The effort is coordinated by the DOJ's Civil Rights Division. Monitors include personnel from the division, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, the department said.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement that election integrity has been one of the top priorities for the administration and called the deployment the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history.
The monitors will check for compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The scale marks a sharp increase. The DOJ monitored 86 jurisdictions across 27 states during the 2024 presidential election, according to Axios.
Concerns about voter intimidation
The deployment has drawn criticism. Some voting rights groups, including the NAACP, say the presence of federal monitors could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority communities, USA Today reported.
In states with closely contested Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high levels of Black and Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data cited by USA Today.
New Jersey officials respond
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill said during a recent installment of WNYC's "Ask Governor Sherrill" call-in show, as reported by Gothamist, that state officials have been working to prepare election workers.
"We have been briefing all of the poll workers, all the municipalities and the counties to make sure that they understand all their rights and that they are alerting us," Sherrill said.
She added that if concerns arise at polling places, the state would act quickly: "If there are any concerns at their polling place, we will be in court very, very quickly to shut down any attempt to interfere with our elections."
How to report problems
The DOJ said voters with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call 1-800-253-3931 or email [email protected]. Voters with ADA-related concerns can call 1-800-514-0301. The department said complaints about disruptions should be reported to local election officials, and threats or violence should be reported to local police by calling 911.
