October 27, 2026
Staff Photo/PhillyVoice
Federal election monitors are being sent to polling places in Philly for the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Above, a man at a Center City polling place.
Federal election monitors will be present at Philadelphia polling locations as voters cast their ballots in the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
The U.S. Department of Justice informed Pennsylvania Secretary of Commonwealth Al Schmidt that it is sending election monitors to polling stations in Allegheny, Lehigh, Luzerne and Philadelphia counties as part of a larger effort to increase the presence of election monitors nationwide. More than 1,000 monitors are expected to be sent out across all 50 states.
The monitors will introduce themselves to poll managers, but they will be dressed in plain clothes and may not have any pins to identify themselves as Justice Department employees, according to a letter that DOJ sent to Schmidt and was obtained by PhillyVoice. The monitors are not permitted to speak with voters inside polling stations or carry weapons.
The monitors are tasked with ensuring compliance with various federal laws, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Civil Rights Act and Americans with Disabilities Act, the letter states. They may not interfere with the voting process but can notify the Justice Department of any issues. DOJ then can contact the jurisdiction in question.
"Our monitors only observe and take notes," the letter states. "They do not intrude or interfere in any way in the voting process."
Election monitors have been sent out in previous elections by both Republican and Democratic administrations, the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported. The Trump administration's plan to dispatch 1,000 monitors exceeds the amount sent out during the 2022 midterm elections. The Biden administration dispatched fewer than 400, the Inquirer reported.
"The Pennsylvania Department of State expects everyone working in, voting in, and observing polling places to follow all applicable state and federal laws," the Department of State said in a statement. "DOJ monitors are not legally entitled to any greater access to polling places than members of the general public and we encourage them to coordinate with local election offices where they will be present to ensure that their activities do not disrupt the voting process."
Pennsylvania state law also allows candidates and political parties to appoint poll watchers who can make challenges about a voter's identity or continued residence in the district. They must be identified and receive county credentials in advance and be registered electors of the county where the election district is located. The number of poll watchers permitted at each polling place is limited.
Also, state law prohibits military personnel from infringing on elections and bars police officers from being less than 100 feet from a polling place unless they are voting, serving a warrant or preventing disturbances to the election process.
An American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania spokesperson said it will be sending its own observers to polling stations, and noted that federal election monitors have been sent to the state in the past.
"They do not have any special authority conferred by federal law, and they are subject to all the same rules and restrictions as any other person regarding proximity to the polls, intimidation and all other general rules regarding polling place conduct in Pennsylvania," the spokesperson said in an email. "The only thing these monitors should expect to see is hard-working poll workers administering a fair and free election."
