LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Department of Justice plans to send federal election monitors to Kentucky for the upcoming election.
The DOJ said it will deploy 1,000 election monitors and observers across the U.S., including Jefferson and Fayette counties.
Jefferson County Clerk David Yates, D-Louisville, said after meeting with other election officials on Monday that they believe state law prevents federal monitoring inside polling locations. On Election Day, they will need to remain at least 100 feet away from each polling site.
Yates said election officials in Fayette County and on the State Board of Elections share the same position.
“This isn’t about politics, and this isn’t about policies,” he said. “This position today that we hold is about protecting the rights of voters, respecting the law and maintaining the confidence in our election process.“
The Kentucky Secretary of State’s office was notified on Wednesday, Oct. 21, of the DOJ’s plans to be in the commonwealth in an email shared with Spectrum News. The letter said that monitors will observe, take notes and not interfere with the voting process.
“We will be in all 50 states, including Kentucky, doing the routine election monitoring the department has done for decades,” a DOJ spokesperson said.
Monitors will not be in uniforms or wear identifying pins. They are also not talk to voters inside polling places and won’t carry firearms, according to the letter.
“All monitors must meet the same legal and ethical requirements, including that they not interfere with the voting process,” according to the DOJ.
The Jefferson County Clerk’s Office sent a follow-up letter to the Justice Department Monday, informing them they’ve not received any “memorandum outlining the monitors’ legal authority and additional information about their intended activities.”
The ACLU of Kentucky expressed concern about the DOJ’s decision.
“We have seen no evidence presented that justifies an expanded federal presence in either of these counties. Voters deserve to know why these particular counties were selected, what these monitors will be authorized to do and how their presence will be kept from interfering with the voting process,” said Eric King, communications director for ACLU-KY.
However, observing federal elections is not a new practice. Under President Joe Biden, the DOJ observed election proceedings in Jefferson and Kenton Counties in 2024.
“Those who conduct elections honestly and lawfully should welcome transparency and accountability,” said Richard Nelson, executive director of the Commonwealth Policy Center. “Regardless of which party controls the White House, election laws should be enforced fairly and consistently.”
Yates reminds voters that the monitors are civil DOJ employees and not federal law enforcement, and that speaking with them, if asked, is optional.
“Every voter has the right to cast a ballot free from threats, harassment, interference or intimidation,” Yates said. “Anyone who witnesses or experiences potential voter intimidation should immediately notify an election officer or contact our office at 502-574-6100.”
According to the DOJ, its observers will only be here on Election Day, and not during the state’s three days of early voting.
Election Day is on Tuesday, Nov. 3. For more information about Decision 2026, visit Spectrum News 1’s special election section.