The Buffalo Brief

Justice Department will deploy poll monitors in Boston and Lowell on Election Day

WBUR · Oct 27, 4:15 PM CT

WBUR reported that massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said the monitors will ensure polling stations are providing the required language services and are accessible to people with disabilities.

The same report said that department of Justice will station poll monitors in Boston and Lowell on Election Day.

It also noted that massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin said the monitors will ensure polling stations provide the required language services and are accessible to people with disabilities.

The account added that "The federal observers will be there to verify these are in fact being made available to voters, that the polling locations are accessible, and if there's language issues, that there's services for them, whether it be a ballot printed in their language or translation services," the state's top election official told WBUR.

Further in the report, monitors are commonly deployed during elections to ensure that polling stations comply with federal voting laws.

The dispatch went on: however, the practice is drawing scrutiny this year as President Trump's administration has tried to exert influence over local elections.

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division said on social media that it planned to send 1,000 observers to polls across the country.

The assistant attorney general, Harmeet Dhillon, called it "the largest monitoring effort" in the department's history.

It has happened under every administration," Galvin said.

What's different now is the behavior of the administration.

And he said he understands why residents may be wary of their presence.

" First of all, the statements that have been coming out of the Trump White House, but more importantly, the actions of the Justice Department that in many cases seem to be hostile to the rights of voters, and certainly to those of us in Massachusetts and other jurisdictions like us," he said.

"I mean, that's not imaginary.".

Still, Galvin said he feels confident working with the Justice Department to ensure a smooth day of voting in Boston and Lowell.

He said he's long worked with election monitors and officials have visited the two cities in the past.

Galvin said anyone can observe the precincts, but no one can interfere with the voting process.

John Bender is a newscast producer for WBUR's Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

When he's not on the newscast desk, he produces segments for Radio Boston.

Amy Gorel is a senior editor of digital news at WBUR.

The Buffalo Brief wrote this from the public report by WBUR. Nothing was added past what that report said.

Reported by WBUR. https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/10/27/justice-department-election-monitors-boston-lowell-election-day