As the U.S. Department of Justice sets out to monitor counties throughout Texas and other states during Election Day on Tuesday, El Paso officials said they’re prepared to keep county voters and their ballots safe should federal officials show up and overstep their authority.
El Paso County has not received notification that it’s among the counties being monitored, but officials haven’t ruled out the possibility.
“We’re not anticipating any issues, but if there were to be any interference, the public should feel confident and assured that their votes are going to count, and if necessary, a response will be made quickly to make sure their votes are protected,” El Paso County Attorney Christina Sanchez said. Without disclosing details, she said her office is ready to file lawsuits or pursue other legal remedies should they be needed.
The Department of Justice regularly monitors federal elections to ensure compliance with voting laws – monitoring, documenting and reporting compliance problems – without intervening to address issues directly at the polls. The monitors cannot enter polling places without the consent of state or local election officials and cannot prevent voters from entering polling sites.
ELECTION 2026 VOTER GUIDE: Everything you need to know about the Nov. 3 general elections in El Paso
The Justice Department recently said it was expanding its monitoring program, planning to send more than 1,000 monitors to jurisdictions across the country, including attorneys and others outside its Civil Rights Division that typically serve that role.
Concerns have grown that the Justice Department, under President Donald Trump’s authority, could interfere with voting and “target certain voters based on their race, ethnicity, primary language or perceived political affiliation, and ultimately sow distrust in election results,” the nonprofit Campaign Legal Center said in an October fact sheet.
Through executive orders, Trump has sought to restrict mail-in voting and implement new voter registration requirements – including asking for additional citizenship verification under some programs. The provisions were blocked by federal courts.
Trump, who repeatedly claims without evidence that election fraud is widespread, maintains that the 2020 election that he lost to President Joe Biden was rigged.
The Justice Department didn’t respond to El Paso Matters’ request for comment, but last week told NPR that it prioritizes monitoring in places with competitive elections.
The election process may also be observed by congressional and state-affiliated monitors, and civil rights advocates across the country plan to send thousands of observers to midterm polling places, including El Paso.
“We’re hoping for the best, but we are preparing in the event that were to happen,” El Paso County Elections Administrator Lisa Wise said, adding that election workers have been trained on how to respond should monitors – or candidates, protestors or voters themselves – try to interfere with the voting process.
Aside from poll worker safety, she said, training has included recognizing subpoenas and warrants and what steps to take when they’re presented with the documents – real or fake – during elections.
Just as important, she said, the public should follow the “see something, say something” rule and report any questionable activity.
“If a voter were to see something that they have any questions about, they should contact our office,” Wise said, adding that there will be a phone bank of people available to help and address any issues that might arise. “We have plans in place to respond and take action while keeping voters and our election workers safe.”
More than 164,000 El Paso County residents cast early ballots – about 25% of registered voters, setting a record for early turnout during a midterm election. More than 540,000 people are registered to vote in El Paso County for his election – an all-time high.
“The El Paso County Elections (Department) is well prepared to handle any issues,” Sanchez said. “It’s not the first time they’ve run elections – even under different political climates – but there is a narrative at the national level that raises potential red flags.”
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, and voters can cast ballots at any polling place in the county.
Texas law requires counties with more than 100,000 residents such as El Paso to maintain video surveillance of areas where ballots are stored, from their delivery to election officials through the canvass of election results.
To report any issues on Election Day, call 915-273-3597. To follow the election livestream, visit elpasomatters.org on Tuesday for links to the video as well as live election results.
DOJ election monitors are allowed to:
- Observe polling places and election facilities to monitor compliance with federal voting and civil rights laws.
- Document potential violations and report them through the DOJ’s chain of command.
- Observe from outside polling places, even without local officials’ consent, and speak with voters outside polling places, if voters are willing.
- Enter polling places or election facilities with state or local election officials’ consent.
- Observe ballot processing and counting facilities, provided they do not interfere with operations.
- Observe potential intimidation of election workers by outside groups.
DOJ election monitors are not allowed to:
- Order, direct or assert authority over poll workers or election officials.
- Stop, question or interrogate voters about citizenship, voter registration, criminal records or eligibility or demand documentation or identification from voters.
- Challenge voters’ eligibility or registration at polling places.
- Interfere with or prevent someone from entering a polling place or casting a ballot.
- Interfere with polling place operations or election administration.
- Demand access to voting machines, ballots, tabulators or other election equipment.
- Inspect voted ballots or attempt to influence how votes are counted.
- Engage in political activity while on duty.
- Identify themselves as federal prosecutors, federal agents or anything other than DOJ election monitors.
Source: Campaign Legal Center, Department of Justice Election Monitors Factsheet – Texas, updated October 2026.
The post What happens if federal election monitors show up in El Paso? County officials say they’re ready. appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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