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Justice Department expands election monitoring ahead of midterm voting

The DOJ says about 1,000 monitors will cover all 50 states, while the Supreme Court rejected its California mail-in ballot request.

Published Nov 3, 2026 · 21:47 UTC3 reports

The short version

  • The DOJ asked the Supreme Court to block California from counting about 20,000 mail-in ballots from voters it suggests may not be citizens; the Court rejected the request without noted dissents.[CNBC]
  • The DOJ says it will deploy about 1,000 election monitors nationwide, up from about 100 in 2024, though a DOJ lawyer told a federal court it expected 900.[CNBC]
  • The DOJ sued 30 states and D.C. for voter registration lists and lost more than two dozen of those cases in court.[France 24]
  • The administration did not invite OSCE election observers to monitor the midterms, breaking with two decades of precedent.[France 24]

Key facts

  • The DOJ asked the Supreme Court to block California from counting about 20,000 mail-in ballots from voters it suggests may not be U.S. citizens, and the Court rejected the request without noted dissents.[CNBC]
  • A DOJ lawyer told a federal court in Washington that the department expected to deploy 900 people to monitor polling places in all 50 states, compared with about 100 monitors in 2024.[CNBC]
  • The DOJ has separately said it will deploy approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers, described as its largest deployment ever.[France 24 · CNBC]
  • The Trump administration did not invite OSCE election observers to monitor the midterms, breaking with two decades of precedent.[France 24]
  • The DOJ sued 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain voter registration lists and subsequently lost more than two dozen of those cases in the courts.[France 24]
  • Republicans currently hold a 53-47 advantage in the Senate.[PBS NewsHour]

What remains uncertain

  • The DOJ's monitor figures are inconsistent across its statements, with about 1,000 announced and 900 cited in a court hearing.[France 24 · CNBC]
  • Most DOJ voter-list lawsuits have failed in court, but the reporting does not establish how the remaining cases will be resolved.[France 24]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.