All quiet on the Western front of the commonwealth, according to registrars in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville, as the country prepares for a contentious election amid talk of federal monitors.
In May, when asked by reporters, President Donald Trump didn’t rule out the possibility of sending the National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to polling locations across the country in November.
“I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections,” he said. “We have to have honest elections.”
In September, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said that ICE agents could conduct operations at polling places, including serving warrants. Later that month during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel declined to commit against dispatching or stationing FBI agents at polling locations on Election Day. He did pledge that the agency would not seize election equipment and materials, including ballots and voting machines.
In October, DHS officials said they do not plan to send ICE officers to the polls. The officials dismissed concerns that they plan to do so as “fearmongering,” according to a report by The Associated Press.
The back and forth regarding potential federal involvement in local election operations has led Virginia’s Attorney General Jay Jones to create a voter protection section within his office, and at least one preemptive lawsuit has been filed against the Trump administration by the Arlington Board of Supervisors in October.
The Virginia Department of Elections, in coordination with the attorney general’s office, has sent a bulletin to localities regarding possible interactions with federal agents at polling places on Election Day.
In the week leading up to the Nov. 3 election, registrars in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville said that they feel confident that Election Day will go smoothly, regardless of concerns about possible disruptions.
“At least here in Roanoke city, I don’t anticipate to have any disruptions like any federal agents or anything. We have not gotten wind of that,” said Nicholas Ocampo, the city’s registrar. “I do have a very good partnership with our local police department, and they haven’t made me aware of any concerns, but that’s not to say that we are not prepared in the event that something were to develop on Election Day or the days before.”
Trish Jones, Lynchburg registrar, sounded a similar note.
“The electoral board will deal with things on a case-by-case basis on Election Day,” she said. “We’re not anticipating any problems here in the city.”
DOJ monitors to be sent to Virginia localities
Steven Koski, the Virginia Department of Elections commissioner, confirmed during a press briefing on Tuesday that a number of localities in Virginia had received requests from the federal Justice Department to allow election monitors into polling stations on Election Day. Koski declined to provide a list of those localities, saying that whether the monitors are allowed is up to each locality and that they are in the process of negotiating the request with the federal agency.
“We will be having discussions with them this week to ask questions about some of their planned activities and to get more information,” Koski said. “We’ve provided some best practices [to localities] about what to do when you receive a request.”
Registrars in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Danville and Martinsville said they had not received requests from the DOJ to allow monitors at polling stations in those localities, as of Tuesday.
The DOJ had previously dispatched elections monitors across 64 jurisdictions in 24 states during the 2022 midterm election under the Biden administration.
“The purpose of their monitoring is to comply with certain statutes,” Koski said.
He added that DOJ monitors had been present in Fairfax and Prince William counties during the 2026 primary election as well. There were no major issues reported in connection with monitors in those localities, he said.
“They have the same obligations and limitations as a neutral observer under Virginia law,” he said. “The officers of election, who are in charge of the polling location, their job is to make sure that there are no disruptions at the polling location so there are procedures in place if an observer is being disruptive in any way, no matter the type of observer, for them to address that and potentially remove an observer.”
“Their purpose for being there is to observe and report out,” Koski said.
ELECT provides a guide to localities on how to handle DOJ monitors
“I feel very prepared in the event that if something were to happen in Roanoke city that we would be able to take care of it quickly, efficiently and without any disruption to the voting process,” Ocampo said.
He attributed that feeling to a bulletin sent on Oct. 15 to registrars by the state Department of Elections in coordination with the attorney general’s office on best practices if a disruption were to arise.
In their joint bulletin, the Department of Elections and attorney general’s office strongly recommended registrars and circuit court clerks connect with local attorneys, local law enforcement and their commonwealth’s attorney ahead of Election Day. The bulletin advised registrars to discuss potential security concerns and build communication channels with local attorneys and law enforcement.
The bulletin also outlined appropriate conduct for everyone inside of a polling location, including DOJ monitors. Under Virginia law, a person inside of a polling location cannot:
- Hinder or delay a qualified voter
- Give campaign or referendum material to any person
- Attempt to influence any person in casting their vote
- Hinder or delay any office of election
- Be in a position to see the marked ballot of any other voter
- Otherwise impede the orderly conduct of the election
The missive added that authorized observers cannot use cell phones to take photos in a polling location, that they do not have a right to access secure locations in a polling location or handle sensitive election material like ballots and voting equipment, and because of legislation enacted earlier this year, nobody can challenge the voting qualifications of any voter at the polling location.
Monitors from the DOJ must have written authorization to enter a polling location and agree to follow the rules governing authorized representatives under state law, according to the bulletin. Officers of election, the general registrar or the local electoral board can remove these monitors from a polling location if they fail to follow the rules governing their authorization.
