Justice Department sends about 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, its largest effort ever

The Justice Department says it is sending about 1,000 election monitors and observers into the field today, and for the first time they will cover all 50 states. The department calls it the largest monitoring effort in its history. Its published list names 126 counties and cities, from Anchorage to Miami-Dade.

The Civil Rights Division is running the operation. Its monitors come from the division, other parts of the department and U.S. attorney's offices, and the Office of Personnel Management is supplying federal observers. Division staff will stay in contact with state and local election officials through the day.

"I am very proud we are deploying the largest monitoring effort in DOJ history, and pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner," Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who leads the division, said in the announcement.

What monitors check and how to report a problem

Monitors look for compliance with federal voting rights laws the division enforces. Those include the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the law protecting military and overseas voters, along with the Americans with Disabilities Act's protections for voters with disabilities. The division's criminal section handles voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

The department tells voters to report disruptions at a polling place to local election officials, and to call 911 first for violence, threats or intimidation.

The department's election hotline is 1-800-253-3931. Complaints can also go to [email protected] or through civilrights.justice.gov/report. For disability access problems, the ADA information line is 1-800-514-0301, or 1-833-610-1264 for TTY users.

On Monday the department also announced charges against 63 people in cases involving illegal voting, false claims of citizenship and fraudulent voter registration. It said it has charged 195 noncitizens in 25 states with voting and registration offenses in the past nine weeks. Charges are allegations, and each person is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Where monitors are going

D.C. is not on it.