DOJ Monitors Stay Outside Adams County Polls After Rejecting State Access Terms

A dispute over how federal election monitors observe voting in Adams County, Colorado, ended with the Department of Justice personnel standing outside voting centers rather than entering. The standoff arose after the federal office rejected specific conditions proposed by state officials for their access to polling places. The outcome leaves the monitors in the same legal position as any other member of the public, according to state records.

Secretary of State Jena Griswold informed officials Thursday that her office offered a pathway for Department of Justice personnel to enter voting centers. The offer included clear restrictions designed to limit the monitors' activities to specific federal compliance checks. Griswold stated that the monitors would have been accompanied at all times by observers appointed by her office. This structure was intended to focus the visit on verifying accessible voting equipment and the presence of bilingual poll workers.

The proposed restrictions limited what the monitors could do inside the centers. Griswold explained that the monitors could only speak with a presiding election official about accessible voting equipment and bilingual staff. The goal was to ensure the monitors were looking only at compliance with federal law while avoiding disruption to the voting process. Griswold noted that the monitors could also evaluate whether election materials were posted in Spanish.

The Department of Justice declined those terms. Griswold stated that by rejecting the reasonable parameters, the monitors retained the right to be outside, just like any member of the public. She specified that the federal observers said they would stand 100 feet outside a voting center if they chose to go. Consequently, they will not be permitted to enter a polling place in Adams County.

Griswold outlined a new state law that requires her office to approve entry for Department of Justice monitors. She stated that the monitors have no right to enter voting centers unless approved. Entry is limited to their stated purposes of ensuring voting equipment is accessible and that materials are in Spanish. If the monitors choose not to operate under these conditions, Griswold said that decision is entirely up to them.

Adams County Clerk and Recorder Josh Zygielbaum described the exchange as the end of a hectic stretch. He told Denver7 that the observers had sought a specific scope of access, which the secretary of state had approved. The approval allowed them to examine multilingual materials and accessibility for voters with disabilities. Zygielbaum said he was surprised when the Department of Justice decided not to accept that approval. He called the decision counter-intuitive if the goal was to observe Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act.

Zygielbaum said the monitors appeared to want unrestricted access, a level of freedom he said is rarely granted because of the personal information of voters. He expressed concern that having monitors stand outside and talk with voters could create negative interactions. He noted that some voters may feel uncomfortable with a random person inquiring about their voting experience. Zygielbaum said the refusal to enter suggests there may have been an ulterior motive behind the federal visit.

Alton Dillard, a Denver7 political expert, explained that the dispute reflects a widespread misunderstanding of what observers are allowed to do. He said people often view the term observer as meaning a watcher who can wander randomly through polling places and vote counting centers. Dillard added that the heightened political climate in the country is driving the tension. He identified the area just outside the 100-foot limit as the uncertain zone where political activity can take place.

Dillard said Adams County's role in a tightly contested congressional race is likely drawing federal attention. He noted that Adams is the swing county in Congressional District 8, a race being heavily advertised nationally. On turnout, election officials reported strong early returns. Zygielbaum stated that Adams County is approaching 100,000 early ballots, a pace similar to the 2020 presidential election. He projected a total of 220,000 to 230,000 ballots by election day at 7 p.m.

Zygielbaum concluded that his office's work would not change regardless of who is watching. He stated that the staff will operate in a bipartisan manner to ensure the election runs smoothly. The decision to stand outside means the Department of Justice monitors will observe from a distance while state and local officials manage the interior of the voting centers.