Justice Department sends team to monitor Minnesota primary elections

State Watch Justice Department sends team to monitor Minnesota primary elections Comments: by Sarah Davis - 08/11/26 4:49 PM ET Comments: Link copied by Sarah Davis - 08/11/26 4:49 PM ET Comments: Link copied

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The Justice Department (DOJ) deployed staff to monitor polling sites in two of Minnesota’s largest counties during the state’s primary election on Tuesday.

Around 20 people from the voting section of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division are participating in this effort at voting centers in Hennepin County and Ramsey County, the DOJ said.

In a statement included in the department’s announcement, Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for the division, said the department “is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout the primary and general election seasons.”

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office shared in a Monday release that the county declined a request from the DOJ last week for monitors to enter polling sites.

A county spokesperson told The Hill that this decision was made “after hearing repeated concerns from residents about safety and the presence of federal officials in their communities.”

“Minnesota elections are administered under Minnesota law, and although we have had no issues with previous DOJ election monitoring, and we determined that prioritizing a safe, orderly, and welcoming environment for voters was necessary this year,” the spokesperson said.

In an information card shared on social media regarding the DOJ monitors’ presence, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said her office was told that DOJ staff would be wearing plainclothes and restricted under state law to remain 100 feet from polling centers.

“Our office remains committed to protecting a fair and democratic election,” Moriarty wrote in the post. “Any reports of threats or harassment will be reviewed and, if appropriate, prosecuted.”

The state was at the center of the Trump administration’s large-scale immigration crackdown across the country earlier this year. Federal officials fatally shot two state residents during January operations in Minneapolis, which is located in Hennepin County.

The Hill has reached out to the Minnesota governor’s office and Ramsey County for comment.

Voting is underway in the North Star State and the polls will close at 8 p.m. Several key seats are on the state’s primary ballot this year, and it comes as Democratic lawmakers raise the alarm bells that the Trump administration could attempt to interfere in the midterm elections.

President Trump has backed controversial former MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell in the Republican gubernatorial primary. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is the leading candidate in the Democratic nominating contest.

The DOJ noted in its Tuesday announcement that its Civil Rights Division has a history of deploying staff to enforce federal voting laws.

The department said it has already deployed 50 monitors across seven counties this primary season. This includes three counties in Arizona, two counties in Michigan and two counties in Virginia, a department spokesperson told The Hill.

“Election monitoring is critical to ensuring our elections have the trust of Minnesotans,” U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota said in the department’s Tuesday press release. “We are proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division in this effort.”