DOJ sends monitors to Bernalillo polls

Bernalillo County residents will share their polling stations with federal election monitors on November 3. County officials confirmed on Thursday that the United States Department of Justice intends to send approximately 10 monitors to sites in the county. This deployment is part of a federal plan to place about 1,000 monitors at polling locations across all 50 states.

The Department of Justice announced this expansion earlier this week. County officials stated that federal representatives informed them of the plan about three weeks ago. The federal agency did not explain why it selected Bernalillo County for this specific round of monitoring. The department also declined to specify which exact polling locations the monitors will visit.

County Clerk Michelle Kavanaugh said local officials are prepared for the arrival. She noted that the department has deployed monitors to the county in previous elections. In an emailed statement, Kavanaugh described the presence as routine. “This is not unusual for us, and we’ve accommodated DOJ monitors in previous elections without incident,” she said.

The expanded federal effort coincides with a mid-term election that will determine the balance of power in the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. State lawmakers passed Senate Bill 264 this session to address concerns about federal interference. The Secretary of State and the Attorney General’s Office issued a voter advisory earlier this month detailing voters' rights regarding interference at the polls.

Local observers are increasing their presence alongside the federal monitors. Carmen Lopez, co-lead for Observe New Mexico Elections, reported that her group has approximately 325 approved observers for this cycle. That number is nearly double the 170 observers the group deployed in the 2024 general election. Lopez attributed the increase to greater public awareness and a desire to participate in the observation process.

The Secretary of State’s Office has credentialed a total of 571 watchers from six different organizations. These groups include Disability Rights New Mexico, the League of Women Voters of New Mexico and Southern New Mexico, Taos United Indivisible, and Land of Action. Heidi Li Feldman, executive director of Land of Action, said her group of about 80 watchers will focus on rural counties. She said volunteers are trained to identify federal agents and ensure they follow state law.

Lindsey Bachman, the secretary of state’s communications director, said her office has only received direct notification about Bernalillo County so far. Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin said she has not heard from the department regarding the state’s second-most-populous county. San Juan County officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on whether they expect federal monitors again.