DOJ to send election monitors to Utah, lieutenant governor says

SALT LAKE CITY — The Department of Justice will be sending election monitors to Utah ahead of the midterms, according to Utah's lieutenant governor.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson said she was informed the election monitors would be sent in a post on Threads. There was "no indication" of where the monitors would be stationed or how many would be arriving in Utah, according to the post.

The election monitors will be required to follow state laws applying to poll watchers, she said, and the monitors will not be wearing badges or insignias. However, the monitors will identify themselves to poll workers, based on the information she got from the Justice Department.

The monitors will not speak to or approach voters, will not be armed or carrying concealed weapons and will not be allowed to interfere in any way with the election process, according to the post.

The Utah Democratic Party issued a statement Thursday morning after the lieutenant governor's post, opposing the Trump administration's "escalating" involvement in elections.

"Donald Trump does not get to spend years attacking our elections and then use the power of the federal government to intimidate the people who participate in them," Utah Democratic Party Chair Brian King said in the statement. "Utahns are not criminals, our elections are not Trump's to control, and our polling places are not his to weaponize. Every eligible voter has the right to cast a ballot without fear of retaliation or intimidation."

KSL contacted the Utah Republican Party chair for a response but did not immediately hear back.

According to the lieutenant governor's office, the Justice Department previously sent poll watchers to San Juan County in 2016, 2018, 2022 and 2024. It did not delve further into the state's history of other poll monitors, but KSL Investigators previously reported that San Juan County had experienced challenges with voting dating back to the 1980s.

On Tuesday, Henderson said nearly 1,500 Utah voters had signed up to track their mail-in ballot online. Approximately 6.45% of Utahns have already voted, according to Henderson, with the highest turnout so far in Garfield County.

Utah residents can continue to register to vote online up until 5 p.m. Friday. Following Friday's deadline, residents will need to register in person at polling locations.

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