The U.S. Department of Justice sent election monitors to Lansing and East Lansing on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as part of what the department called its largest monitoring effort ever.

The DOJ deployed approximately 1,000 monitors and observers to all 50 states for the first time in the department’s history, according to a DOJ press release published Tuesday. The effort is coordinated by the department’s Civil Rights Division.

Both Lansing and East Lansing appear on the DOJ’s list of monitored Michigan jurisdictions. Six other Michigan cities are also on the list: Grand Rapids, Flint, Detroit, Hamtramck, Warren and Dearborn.

The monitors will check for compliance with federal voting rights laws, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act and the Civil Rights Acts, according to the DOJ.

The department said its Disability Rights Section enforces voting-access protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Its Criminal Section handles enforcement of federal laws against intimidation and suppression of voters on grounds including race, color, national origin and religion.

The nationwide deployment draws personnel from across the DOJ, including the Civil Rights Division and U.S. attorney’s offices, as well as federal observers supplied by the Office of Personnel Management, the department said.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in the department’s statement that election integrity has been one of the top priorities for the administration and the division.

By comparison, the DOJ monitored 86 jurisdictions across 27 states during the 2024 presidential election, according to the department’s 2024 announcement.

Some voting rights groups, including the NAACP, said they believe the deployment could suppress turnout, particularly among minority voters, USA Today reported. Lansing is about 22% Black, according to USA Today’s analysis of Census data.

Michigan officials said DOJ monitors operate as public poll watchers and cannot question voters, handle ballots or voting equipment, or disrupt election administration, according to an Oct. 22 state announcement.

The DOJ said its staff would stay in touch with state and local election officials during voting. Residents can direct federal voting rights questions or complaints to 800-253-3931 or [email protected].