<p>Governor Mark Gordon (R-WY) expressed concerns on August 27, 2026, regarding what he described as "aggressive" and "irregular" behavior by federal officials monitoring the recent primary election in Wyoming.</p>
<p>During a meeting of the State Canvassing Board, Gordon stated, "It sounded like the behavior of the observers was a bit aggressive. It just was irregular, and I have asked the attorney general to start looking into, you know, kind of the nature of the visits and all that sort of stuff."</p>
<p>According to meeting minutes, Gordon indicated discomfort with the Justice Department’s election monitoring, noting that his administration had not been informed about the initiative. He requested that the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office investigate the situation.</p>
<p>Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray and Election Director Paul Raines addressed Gordon’s concerns during the meeting. Gray mentioned that public reports indicated that U.S. Attorney for the District of Wyoming Darin Smith was aware of the Justice Department’s plans and had been collaborating with the agency.</p>
<p>The Justice Department publicly announced on primary day its intention to monitor elections in Wyoming as part of a broader initiative to oversee elections in several states. The department stated that this monitoring effort aims to promote transparency and facilitate communication between poll observers and election monitors.</p>
<p>The Justice Department noted that it deployed over 75 personnel to monitor elections at more than 200 polling locations across five states during the primary season, compared to nine states during the 2022 midterm elections.</p>
<p>Laramie County Clerk Debra Lee, a Republican and the county’s chief election official, also raised concerns regarding the presence of federal monitors at polling locations. Lee reported that two individuals identifying themselves as DOJ election monitors informed a poll worker of their purpose at the polling site but did not provide their credentials until requested.</p>
<p>Lee expressed that the monitors arrived during a busy time and asked questions she believed were beyond the scope of federal voting rights laws. These questions included inquiries about poll worker training and requests to examine election equipment.</p>
<p>Lee stated she denied a request from the monitors to interview voters to assess compliance with federal civil rights and voting rights laws, emphasizing, "We do not allow interviews to be conducted in polling places."</p>
<p>Lee concluded that the monitoring effort was poorly managed and showed a disregard for state laws and election administration.</p>
<p>The Trump administration has announced plans to expand its election-monitoring efforts, with approximately 1,000 Justice Department personnel expected to be deployed nationwide during the upcoming November elections.</p>