Federal election monitors are at Miami-Dade County polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

The county is one of five in Florida where the Department of Justice (DOJ) stationed observers as part of what it called the largest monitoring effort in its history. The department deployed approximately 1,000 monitors and observers to all 50 states, the first time the operation has covered every state.

For Palmetto Bay and Cutler Bay voters, the federal presence adds a new element to an Election Day that includes municipal races in both communities, along with contests for governor, U.S. Senate, Congress and the Florida Legislature.

Where in Florida

The DOJ's published list names five Florida counties receiving monitors: Leon, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. The department did not specify which polling locations within those counties would be monitored.

Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia has 516 polling locations open across the county. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters in line by 7 p.m. can still cast ballots.

More than 530,000 Miami-Dade residents had already voted through early voting and mail ballots as of Nov. 2, according to WSVN. Garcia said the county expected between 200,000 and 250,000 people to vote on Election Day.

"We have 516 sites, polling locations, and we just want to ask everyone to please come out and vote," Garcia said in WSVN coverage published Nov. 2.

What monitors will do

The monitors include personnel from the Civil Rights Division, other DOJ components, U.S. Attorney's Offices and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management. They are checking compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The Civil Rights Division's Criminal Section enforces federal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement that election integrity has been one of the top priorities for the administration and the division. She said the department is pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.

Concerns from voting rights groups

The scale of the deployment has drawn pushback.

USA Today reported that some voting rights groups, including the NAACP, say the monitors could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority communities. Axios reported that some local election officials have expressed concerns that a large wave of observers could intimidate or interfere with voters.

USA Today reported that in states with competitive Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high Black and Hispanic populations according to U.S. Census data. Monitors were not sent exclusively to minority-heavy areas, however. In Ohio, Medina County, which is 90% white, also received monitors.

The DOJ has sent election monitors since the Voting Rights Act passed in 1965. In the 2024 presidential election, the department monitored 86 jurisdictions across 27 states, according to Axios. The current deployment covers all 50 states, up from 27 in 2024.

How to report problems

Voters with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call the DOJ's election hotline at 1-800-253-3931 or email [email protected]. ADA-related concerns can be directed to 1-800-514-0301.

The DOJ said complaints about disruptions at a polling place should first go to local election officials, and any threats or violence should be reported to local police by calling 911.