The Department of Justice sent election monitors to Clark County polling sites on Tuesday, Nov. 3, part of what the agency called its largest monitoring effort in history.

Approximately 1,000 monitors and observers fanned out across all 50 states, according to a DOJ press release. It marked the first time the department deployed monitors in every state. Clark County was the only Nevada jurisdiction on the DOJ's list.

Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar said the DOJ planned to station observers at four Clark County polling sites, The Nevada Independent reported. Aguilar called a meeting with the Justice Department "cordial and respectful." He added that observers are welcome as long as they are respectful, and that the state "will not tolerate any form of disruption, chaos, threats or intimidation."

A Justice Department spokesperson said the monitors "will merely observe and report any potential violations of federal law to the Department, which will be reviewed after Election Day," according to The Nevada Independent.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division coordinated the effort. In a statement, Dhillon said the department was "pursuing transparency for elections in an assertive and nondiscriminatory manner."

The monitors were checking for compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). The DOJ's Disability Rights Section also enforced the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at polling places. Its Criminal Section enforces federal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation based on race, color, national origin or religion.

Concerns from voting rights groups

The deployment drew pushback. Some voting rights groups, including the NAACP, said they believe the monitors could suppress turnout and disenfranchise voters, particularly from minority groups, USA Today reported.

Some local election officials also expressed concerns that a large wave of observers could intimidate voters, Axios reported. The effort came after courts repeatedly rejected DOJ attempts to force states to restrict voting for alleged noncitizens, according to Axios.

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. Monitors were not sent exclusively to minority-heavy areas, however. In Ohio, for example, Medina County is 90% white, USA Today reported.

Nevada's election preparations

Nevada saw an unprecedented number of observers on Election Day beyond the federal monitors. The Nevada Election Observation Network, or NEON, trained 217 observers in the state, according to Logan Gifford, the group's deputy state manager, as reported by the Las Vegas Sun. NEON was established in 2026 with funding from the Carter Center.

Silver State Voices, a poll-watching group founded in 2012, planned to cover all polling locations across the state, including 177 in Clark and Washoe counties, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Aguilar said he had been in contact with Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill and Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam to prepare, according to the Las Vegas Sun. Gov. Joe Lombardo also made clear he did not want federal agents at polling locations, Aguilar said.

Voters with questions or complaints about federal voting rights can call the DOJ's election hotline at 1-800-253-3931.