Trump DOJ plans election monitors in Colorado battleground counties
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The Trump administration plans to send federal election monitors to at least two Colorado counties with competitive congressional races, Axios has confirmed.
Why it matters: The Justice Department is preparing what could be its largest election-monitoring operation ever, raising concerns about federal interference in elections traditionally run by state and local officials.
Driving the news: The DOJ notified Adams and Douglas counties this week that it intends to deploy monitors on Election Day, according to letters obtained by Axios Denver.
- Both counties are home to high-stakes House races: Republican Rep. Gabe Evans faces Democrat Manny Rutinel in the 8th District, while Republican Rep. Lauren Boebert faces Democrat Eileen Laubacher in the 4th.
- The DOJ says its monitors will check compliance with federal voting rights laws, including protections for voters with disabilities and those needing language assistance, without interfering with voting.
Friction point: Colorado hasn't approved the deployment.
- New state election rules that took effect Oct. 9 require federal monitors to get permission from the secretary of state's office — ending a longstanding exemption for DOJ monitors.
What we're watching: Secretary of state spokesperson Jack Todd tells Axios the state is reviewing the requests with the Colorado Attorney General's Office.
The intrigue: The DOJ notified the state directly about Adams County — but not Douglas County, Todd said.
Zoom in: Adams County Clerk Josh Zygielbaum, a Democrat, told 9News he believes the deployment is meant to "intimidate" voters and suspects his county was targeted because of the tight 8th Congressional District race.
- A DOJ spokesperson told NPR the agency prioritizes competitive races and selected Adams County partly because it's required to provide Spanish-language voting assistance.
The big picture: Federal election monitoring is routine, but this year's plans come amid heightened tensions over the Trump administration's involvement in elections.
- The DOJ monitored 64 jurisdictions across 24 states during the 2022 midterms.
- This year, the department plans to deploy 1,000 observers nationwide, with counties in at least five states already notified, NPR reports.
What they're saying: "Colorado voters will not be intimidated by Donald Trump's Department of Justice," state Democratic Party chair Shad Murib said Thursday.
What's next: It's unclear whether Colorado will allow the monitors into polling places or whether additional counties will be selected.