DOJ monitoring polling sites for voting rights compliance in 3 Arizona counties on Election Day

The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in three Arizona counties during Tuesday’s primary election to ensure compliance with federal voting rights laws, officials said.

DOJ staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona are monitoring polls in Maricopa, Apache and Pima counties.

It’s nothing new; DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor elections in communities across the U.S. During the 2024 general election, the DOJ monitored four Arizona counties.

Why is the DOJ watching three Arizona counties during 2026 primary election?

The department said the effort is aimed at ensuring transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law, according to Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections,” Dhillon said in a Tuesday statement.

U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona said his office is helping lead the effort.

“Our democracy depends on free and fair elections,” Courchaine said. “Today’s monitoring effort is a critical piece of that.”

Election officials in the three counties issued credentials to DOJ personnel, allowing them to observe vote-casting procedures at various polling sites, according to the department.

The DOJ said Civil Rights Division personnel will be available through Election Day on Nov. 3 to answer questions and complaints from the public about possible violations of federal voting rights laws.

How to stay up-to-date throughout Primary Election Day

In-person voters or people who want to tabulate their completed early ballots onsite must show a valid form of identification.

The county elections website has a searchable map that shows the wait times at each location.

The Arizona Secretary of State Office’s website has a page with contact information and links to official sites for all 15 counties.

The first batch of results will be released at 8 p.m.

KTAR News 92.3 and KTAR.com will be covering the latest developments and results throughout the day, including a special Election Day report airing from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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