Millions vote early as Trump team sends monitors to all 50 states
The Justice Department is placing about 1,000 observers in every state to watch Tuesday’s contests for all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats.
By Sakura Novak ·
Nearly 60 million Americans cast ballots before Tuesday’s election, joining those voting on Election Day itself. This high early turnout occurs against a backdrop of all 435 House seats and 35 Senate seats being contested.
The outcome will determine which party controls Congress. That result will shape President Donald Trump’s capacity to advance his legislative agenda for the next two years. Hundreds of local races are also on the ballot in various jurisdictions.
Pew Research Center estimates that roughly 250 million Americans are eligible to vote. Analysts caution that early voting numbers alone do not indicate a partisan shift. Even in states that track party registration, those affiliations do not always predict candidate preference.
The Department of Justice announced it is deploying approximately 1,000 election monitors and observers across all 50 states. This marks the first time the department’s monitoring effort has reached every state. Officials said the team will check compliance with federal voting rights laws.
Their duties include ensuring protections against voter intimidation and verifying access for voters with disabilities. The department described the move as a step to ensure legal standards are met during the count.
Once polls close, close contests and the processing of outstanding mail-in ballots could delay final results. Control of Congress may remain unsettled beyond election night as officials complete the count.
