Federal election monitors are coming to the D.C. suburbs
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Federal election monitors are heading to polling places in the D.C. suburbs Tuesday, amid concerns about potential voter intimidation.
The big picture: The Department of Justice (DOJ) plans to send about 1,000 election monitors to polls across the country — far more than in previous elections.
- Federal election monitoring is a longstanding practice intended to ensure that voting rights are being maintained.
- But the unusually large deployment is drawing scrutiny amid the Trump administration's repeated claims of widespread voter fraud.
State of play: The DOJ plans to have monitors stationed in the 'burbs in Prince George's County in Maryland and Fairfax County in Virginia.
- In Virginia's Prince William County, local officials said federal monitors won't be allowed inside polling places. The DOJ said it would still send monitors to observe from the outside, reports the Prince William Times.
- The DOJ hasn't released a complete list of monitoring locations.
- Election officials in Maryland said they currently aren't aware of locations besides Prince George's. D.C. and Virginia officials didn't respond to requests for additional locations.
Zoom in: D.C. residents have also raised concerns about National Guard troops near voting locations after guard members were spotted next to a Foggy Bottom ballot box last month.
- The D.C. Board of Elections afterwards asked the National Guard to stay away from voting locations.
- Local groups like Free D.C. and Harriet's Wildest Dreams will have independent monitors at polling sites in case issues arise, reports the Washington Sun.
Meanwhile, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued an advisory last month outlining restrictions on federal troops and law enforcement at polling places.
- DOJ monitors are prohibited from interfering with voting and must receive authorization to enter D.C. polling places.
- The National Guard has been instructed not to monitor or secure polling places, according to the advisory.
What they're saying: A DOJ spokesperson told the Atlantic that monitors wouldn't interfere with voting and would follow local rules regarding access to polling sites.