What to expect from DOJ election monitors in Adams County

Driving the news: The monitors will stand at least 100 feet from voting centers and ask departing voters whether they had problems casting their ballots, DOJ spokesperson Kiersten Pels told Axios.

• Questions could cover disability access, Spanish-language assistance and other potential voting barriers. Bilingual monitors will be available.
• Voters won't be required to answer, Pels said.

By the numbers: Between four and 12 monitors are expected in Adams County, though the final number hasn't been determined, Pels said.

Zoom in: The monitors will wear plain clothes, without uniforms or visible badges identifying them as federal officials.

• Pels said they'll identify themselves and show credentials "if they're asked."
• She stressed that monitors won't check voters' citizenship or conducting immigration enforcement.

Catch up quick: The DOJ agreed Thursday to stay outside voting centers after rejecting Colorado's conditions for entering.

What they're saying: Pels defended the monitoring as a longstanding civil rights practice, saying Adams County was selected because of federal Spanish-language voting assistance requirements — not "political bias."

• Pels confirmed Adams County, which includes part of the battleground 8th Congressional District, is the only Colorado county where the DOJ plans to deploy monitors.