VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach Electoral Board on Friday voted unanimously to not allow neutral observers inside the city's polling place, days after the board's chair said the U.S. Department of Justice planned to send them to polling places in Virginia Beach on Election Day.
Before the vote, the board said two groups — the U.S. DOJ and the NAACP — had requested to have neutral observers at the polls. The board did not say how many observers each group wanted or where they wanted to be positioned.
The board then opened the floor for public comment on the issue, and three people spoke. All of them expressed concerns about having Justice Department observers.
A board member then made a motion to not allow any neutral observers inside the polls. The motion passed unanimously.
Watch: DOJ plans to monitor polling places in Virginia Beach on Election Day
When asked why they had planned to send observers, the DOJ told News 3 this is something the DOJ is doing in every state and, "Every monitor will merely observe and report any potential violations of federal law to the Department, which will be reviewed after Election Day.”
Watch: Who's watching the vote? A guide to poll watchers, observers and monitors in 2026
If you have concerns about activity at your voting location, you can fill out the Virginia Department of Elections’ online complaint form or you can call the voter protection hotline at 866-OUR -VOTE.
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