Trump administration deploys largest-ever election monitoring team; Democratic governors counter by mobilizing National Guard

[Financial News]  

On the 3rd (local time), the day of the U.S. midterm elections, the Donald Trump administration deployed the largest election monitoring team ever. Governors from the opposition Democratic Party are countering federal monitors by mobilizing the National Guard.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release that “ensuring election integrity, supporting free and fair elections, and protecting citizens’ votes” is one of its most important missions, adding, “Today, we are further strengthening this mission through the largest election monitoring effort ever.”
The DOJ said it would conduct election monitoring under the direction of its Civil Rights Division, deploying approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states for the first time ever. It added that it would accept inquiries and complaints related to voting rights over the next week.
The government’s monitoring team is reportedly three times the size of the one deployed during the 2022 midterm elections. With defeat looming in the election, President Trump has repeatedly raised the possibility of election fraud, and the Justice Department led by his close ally, Attorney General Todd Blanche, has effectively taken the lead.
Analysts say the aim may be to collect cases that could raise questions about the voting process in the event of a crushing defeat and use them to push a voter-fraud narrative.
In opposition to the federal Justice Department, states are mobilizing the National Guard to support elections. In particular, in states with Democratic governors, the National Guard is being deployed to mount its own monitoring effort in response to federal election monitors.
At the suggestion of Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson, Washington state deployed about 100 National Guard members as election monitors in seven counties. The National Guard will also monitor elections in North Carolina, whose governor is a Democrat. In Colorado, the National Guard is supporting election cybersecurity.
According to the congressional publication The Hill, seven states announced this year that they would mobilize the National Guard for the midterm elections.
[email protected] Song Kyung-jae Reporter