The U.S. Department of Justice deployed about 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states on Tuesday, Nov. 3, its first time monitoring every state at once.
The DOJ’s announcement identified Jefferson and Fayette counties as Kentucky monitoring locations. No Northern Kentucky counties appear on the department’s published list. Spectrum News 1 reported that monitors would go to Jefferson and Fayette counties. No reporting identified any Northern Kentucky counties as monitor locations.
The deployment is the DOJ's largest election monitoring effort in its history, coordinated by the agency's Civil Rights Division. Monitors include personnel from multiple DOJ divisions, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management.
Kentucky officials push back
Jefferson County Clerk David Yates said after meeting with other election officials that they believe Kentucky state law prevents federal monitors from entering polling locations. On Election Day, monitors would need to remain at least 100 feet from each polling site. Yates said election officials in Fayette County and on the State Board of Elections share that position.
"This isn't about politics, and this isn't about policies," Yates said. He said the position is about protecting voters' rights and maintaining confidence in the election process.
The Kentucky Secretary of State's office was notified Oct. 21 of the DOJ's plans. A letter shared with Spectrum News 1 said monitors would observe, take notes and not interfere with the voting process. Monitors would not wear uniforms or identifying pins, would not talk to voters inside polling places and would not carry firearms, according to the letter.
Yates said the monitors are civil DOJ employees, not federal law enforcement, and that speaking with them is optional.
Concerns and support
The ACLU of Kentucky expressed concern. Eric King, communications director for ACLU-KY, said the group has seen no evidence justifying an expanded federal presence in either county and questioned what monitors would be authorized to do, Spectrum News 1 reported.
USA Today reported that some voting rights groups, including the NAACP, said they believe the deployment could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority groups.
Richard Nelson, executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center, said those who conduct elections honestly should welcome transparency and accountability, Spectrum News 1 reported.
Federal election observation in Kentucky is not new. Under President Joe Biden, the DOJ observed election proceedings in Jefferson and Kenton counties in 2024.
How to report problems
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement that the agency was pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman encouraged voters to report any suspected election law violations to the state's Election Fraud Hotline at (800) 328-VOTE. The DOJ also operates a hotline at 1-800-253-3931 for questions or complaints related to federal voting rights laws.
