Montgomery County is not on the U.S. Department of Justice’s announced list of Pennsylvania jurisdictions for federal election monitoring on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The list names neighboring Philadelphia, along with Allegheny, Lehigh and Luzerne counties.
For Whitemarsh and Plymouth township voters, that means the announcement does not identify a monitoring assignment in their county. The DOJ’s Election Day release lists jurisdictions where it intends to monitor or observe; it does not identify individual Pennsylvania polling places or confirm visits to particular precincts.
Nationally, the department announced approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states, calling it its largest effort and the first to reach every state. The total includes DOJ personnel and federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management.
What the monitors do
The Civil Rights Division is coordinating the operation to assess compliance with federal voting-rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act and Help America Vote Act. The department also identifies disability access and protection against voter intimidation among its responsibilities.
Election monitoring has taken place under both Democratic and Republican administrations for decades. This year’s nationwide reach is new; federal election monitoring itself is not.
In a letter to Pennsylvania officials, the DOJ said monitors would observe and document what happens without interfering in voting, Votebeat and Spotlight PA reported.
Pennsylvania limits access
Pennsylvania officials say DOJ monitors have no greater right to enter polling places than members of the public. The Department of State told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that restricted areas include the space within 10 feet of a polling-place entrance.
Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Jonathan Marks told counties that DOJ monitors may not enter restricted areas, inspect voting equipment or demand records, according to that report.
Federal monitors are distinct from the certified partisan poll watchers authorized under Pennsylvania’s election rules. The state’s rules at the polls explain who may be inside a polling place and the restrictions on other activity nearby.
Officials and advocates respond
Officials in two counties on the list said federal monitoring was familiar. Lehigh County elections director Mike Paston said the county expected eight monitors working in small groups, while Luzerne County Manager Romilda Crocamo said her county had received DOJ monitors in 2022 and 2024, Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported.
Crocamo said monitors would remain outside polling places. Those comments concern Lehigh and Luzerne counties; they do not establish a monitoring plan for Montgomery County.
The voting-rights organization Campaign Legal Center has raised concerns about the expanded operation. Its Pennsylvania fact sheet warns that personnel recruited beyond the usual pool of civil-rights attorneys may lack relevant experience or training, increasing the risk of improper conduct. It also notes that most deployments during the 2026 primaries were uneventful.
A DOJ spokesperson told Votebeat and Spotlight PA that the department trains monitors on the state and local laws for their assigned jurisdictions.
How voters can report a problem
Voters can report a disruption to the judge of elections or other local election officials at their polling place. The DOJ’s election-issues hotline is 1-800-253-3931, and complaints can also be submitted through its civil-rights reporting portal.
Pennsylvania’s voter hotline is 1-877-868-3772. The state’s voter-intimidation guidance explains prohibited conduct and reporting options. For an immediate threat or violence, call 911.
