Statement from Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas Regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s Intention to Send Election Monitors to New Haven

Press Releases

10/30/2026

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) notified our Office and the City of New Haven that it intends to send federal election monitors to New Haven on Election Day, November 3.

Connecticut General Statutes � 9-236 clearly defines who is permitted inside a polling place, and federal Department of Justice election monitors are not among those authorized to enter. The same rules apply to everyone, regardless of who they are or whom they represent. Like other members of the public, DOJ monitors may observe from outside the 75-foot restricted area.

Representatives from our Office, the City of New Haven, and the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office met with DOJ officials to review what Connecticut law does and does not permit at polling places, including the restrictions that apply to federal election monitors.

During these discussions and in its letter to our Office, the DOJ said two teams of two monitors would visit polling locations to observe compliance with federal voting rights laws, with a focus on language assistance and accessibility for voters with disabilities. They also assured us that its monitors:

• Will follow all rules of the state and jurisdiction.
• Will remain outside the 75-foot restricted area surrounding polling places.
• Will observe without interfering with the voting process or the work of election officials.
• Will not carry firearms.
• Have no powers of arrest, detention, search, or seizure.
• Will speak with voters only with their explicit consent, and only outside the 75-foot boundary.

During the phone call, we also agreed that:

• Two teams will focus on polling locations subject to mandatory language assistance.
• The monitors will focus on ensuring voters have received proper assistance with voting and that the exterior areas are accessible to those with disabilities.
• The DOJ will send the names and titles of these monitors to our Office.
• Monitors will not interfere with voters exercising their right to vote.
• The DOJ will provide information for a point of contact and our Office will do the same.
• The DOJ will send a "Do's and Don'ts" check list for the monitors.
• Our Office agreed to codify the conversation in a letter that was sent earlier today.

The Department of Justice is planning to send monitors to locations across the country, and the rules governing their access vary by state. Barring federal monitors from inside polling locations is not a partisan issue, but an issue of state law. Election officials in Indiana and Kentucky, among other jurisdictions, have also made clear that DOJ monitors must remain outside polling locations in accordance with their state laws.

I want every eligible voter in New Haven and across Connecticut to know that our polling places are ready to welcome you. Our election officials have worked hard to prepare for Election Day, and nothing about the presence of federal monitors changes your right to vote. Make your plan, cast your ballot and vote with confidence.

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Contact: Matthew Clyburn
(959) 274-6725
Matthew.Clyburn@ct.gov

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