The US Justice Department announced it plans to send 1,000 federal monitors across all 50 states for Election Day on 3 November, including in Alaska, where early voting is already underway with more than 58,000 ballots cast.
The effort is larger this year than in previous years. In the 2022 midterm elections, the Biden administration’s DOJ sent monitors to 64 jurisdictions in 24 states.
Federal monitoring of elections is not new to Alaska, particularly in rural and Alaska Native-majority regions, where monitors watch for compliance with the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other federal laws. In 2024, the DOJ announced plans to monitor several rural precincts for compliance with federal requirements for language assistance, including in the Bethel, Dillingham, Kusilvak and Nome census areas and the North Slope and Northwest Arctic boroughs.
This year's early voting numbers are already outpacing the 2022 midterms. As of Tuesday, about 10 percent of Alaska voters, over 58,000 people, had cast their ballots. Nationally, 46.3 million early votes had been cast as of Thursday, according to the University of Florida's Election Lab.
An investigation by the DOJ into the 2022 and 2023 elections in Alaska documented access violations for voters with disabilities, including a lack of accessible machines at polling places and a lack of accessible features on the state election division's website. The Alaska Division of Elections did not respond to a request for more information about federal monitoring.
Voters can report complaints of federal law violations through the DOJ Civil Rights Division's online form. The Division also has a voter complaint form for Help America Vote Act violations on its website and a complaint hotline at 1-888-465-5857. The division also has resources for accessibility and language assistance.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The deployment of 1,000 monitors across all 50 states represents a substantial increase in federal election oversight, potentially affecting voter confidence and access.
- The focus on Alaska, with its rural and Alaska Native communities, highlights ongoing efforts to ensure language assistance and disability access in remote areas.
- High early voting numbers suggest increased turnout, putting additional pressure on polling places and making monitoring for compliance more critical.
Background
The US Department of Justice has regularly deployed federal monitors to oversee elections for compliance with laws such as the Voting Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The scale varies each cycle, with 64 jurisdictions monitored in 24 states during the 2022 midterms. Alaska has been a frequent site of oversight, especially in remote and Alaska Native areas, where past DOJ investigations have found violations related to access for voters with disabilities and language assistance.
What to Watch
- The release of the full list of monitored locations on Election Day, which will clarify which Alaska precincts are under scrutiny.
- Whether the early voting wave continues and how that affects Election Day logistics and potential issues.
- Any reports of accessibility or language assistance problems, given prior DOJ findings in Alaska.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedThe US Justice Department plans to deploy 1,000 federal monitors across all 50 states.Alaska Beacon: “The U.S. Justice Department announced this week that it plans to deploy 1,000 federal monitors across all 50 states.”
- SupportedAlaska is included in the monitoring effort.Alaska Beacon: “That includes Alaska polling places but there are few details on where monitoring will take place.”
- SupportedThe monitoring is planned for Election Day on 3 November.Alaska Beacon: “The full list of monitored locations won’t be disclosed until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.”
- SupportedSpecific monitored locations will not be disclosed until Election Day.Alaska Beacon: “The full list of monitored locations won’t be disclosed until Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 3.”
- SupportedThe monitoring effort is larger this year than in previous years.Alaska Beacon: “The federal poll monitoring initiative is larger this year than previous years.”
- SupportedIn the 2022 midterms, the Biden administration’s DOJ sent monitors to 64 jurisdictions in 24 states.Alaska Beacon: “In the 2022 midterm elections, the Biden Administration’s DOJ sent monitors to 64 jurisdictions in 24 states.”
- SupportedAs of Tuesday, nearly 10% of Alaska voters, or over 58,000 people, had cast ballots.Alaska Beacon: “Early voting in Alaska is already underway, with nearly 10% of voters or over 58,000 people having cast ballots as of Tuesday.”
- SupportedAlaska’s early-voting number already outpaces the 2022 midterms.Alaska Beacon: “The number already outpaces early voting in the 2022 midterms.”
- SupportedIn 2024, the DOJ announced plans to monitor rural precincts in the Bethel, Dillingham, Kusilvak and Nome census areas, and the North Slope and Northwest Arctic boroughs, for language-assistance compliance.Alaska Beacon: “In the 2024 general election , the DOJ announced plans to monitor several rural precincts for compliance with federal requirements for language assistance, including in the Bethel, Dillingham, Kusilvak, and Nome census areas and the North Slope and Northwest Arctic boroughs.”
- SupportedAs of Thursday, 46.3 million early votes had been cast nationally, according to the University of Florida’s Election Lab.Alaska Beacon: “as of Thursday, 46.3 million voters nationwide had cast their ballots already, according to the University of Florida’s UF Elections Lab.”
- SupportedA DOJ investigation of voting in Alaska’s 2022 and 2023 elections documented disability-access violations, including inaccessible polling-place machines and features missing from the state election division’s website.Alaska Beacon: “A DOJ investigation of voting in 2022 and 2023 elections documented access violations for voters with disabilities and cited the Division of Elections. The findings included a lack of accessible machines at polling places and lack of accessible features on the division’s website.”
- SupportedAlaska Division of Elections officials did not respond to a request for more information about federal monitoring.Alaska Beacon: “Officials with the Alaska Division of Elections did not respond to a request for more information on federal monitoring or say if the DOJ is coordinating with the division on Thursday.”