Pulaski County weighs federal monitor access as mayor urges early voting
Local officials vote on a request from the Department of Justice to place observers inside polling places, a move critics call unusual for a midterm cycle.
By Yara Nasser ·
A dispute over federal oversight has reached the Pulaski County Election Commission, which is scheduled to vote at 7 p.m. Wednesday on whether to allow Department of Justice monitors inside polling places. The decision will determine if federal observers can stand within the voting area or must wait in the lobby with other non-voters.
The request is part of a nationwide effort by the Trump administration to deploy 1,000 monitors across the country for the midterm election. This scale is atypical for the cycle, as the Biden administration sent fewer than 400 monitors in 2022. Pulaski County, the state's most populous and a reliable Democratic voting district, is one of only two Arkansas counties targeted for this specific federal intervention.
The second targeted location, Washington County, rejected the request earlier this week. Commissioners there cited late notice and a lack of clarity regarding why their district was selected. Washington County, the state's third most populous, voted Republican by two points in the 2024 election, contrasting with Pulaski's blue lean.
Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. issued a statement ahead of the vote, questioning the Department of Justice's motives. He argued that local officials, including Circuit and County Clerk Terri Hollingsworth, have a long record of administering secure elections. Scott noted that state officials, including Secretary of State Cole Jester and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, have recently praised Arkansas for its top ranking on election integrity scorecards.
Scott urged the commission to reject the federal request to maintain local independence. He specifically encouraged voters to use early voting, which is currently underway, to avoid potential intimidation on Election Day. He pointed to VotePulaskiAR.gov for location and hours, emphasizing that no federal monitors are currently present at those early voting sites.
The commission meets at the Pulaski County Regional Building at 501 W. Markham in Little Rock. The vote will establish the physical presence of federal personnel in the county's most populous voting districts for the general election.
