Pima County voters heading to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 3, will find federal monitors watching the process as part of the largest election-monitoring effort in U.S. Department of Justice history.

The DOJ deployed approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers to all 50 states for the first time, according to a department press release. Four Arizona counties made the list: Maricopa, Pima, Apache and Navajo.

Pima County, which includes Oro Valley and the Catalina Foothills, has had federal election monitoring of one type or another since the 1970s, according to a Pima County newsroom release published Oct. 29.

What monitors check

Under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), Pima County must provide voting materials in both English and Spanish. Federal monitors check compliance with those language requirements and with accessibility rules under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the county.

The monitors also look for compliance with other federal voting rights statutes, including the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act, the DOJ said. The department's Criminal Section enforces federal laws that prohibit voter intimidation and suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.

A major expansion

In the 2024 presidential election, the DOJ monitored 86 jurisdictions across 27 states, Axios reported. The 2026 effort also follows court rejections of DOJ attempts to force states to restrict voting over alleged noncitizen participation, Axios reported.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a statement that the department was pursuing transparency for elections in what she called an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner.

Concerns raised

The deployment drew pushback. USA Today reported that voting-rights groups and local election officials raised concerns the monitors could intimidate voters and suppress turnout. The NAACP said it believed the deployment could disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority groups, USA Today reported.

In states with competitive Senate races, monitors were assigned to cities and counties with disproportionately high levels of Black and Hispanic residents, according to U.S. Census data cited by USA Today.

At a July press conference, Pima County officials said they would act against anyone who violated state election law, including federal observers, the Tucson Agenda reported. The officials' broader message at the time was to tell residents to "relax," the outlet reported, noting the county had been preparing for the moment.

Voting details

All 126 Pima County Vote Centers opened at 6 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, according to Pima County. Voters can cast ballots at any Vote Center in the county. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

The first batch of unofficial results is expected shortly after 8 p.m. Counting is expected to continue into the early morning hours of Nov. 4. Results remain unofficial until the Pima County Board of Supervisors approves the canvass at a special meeting scheduled for Nov. 19.

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].