The Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is actively monitoring polling sites in South Carolina for the state’s primary runoff election today, August 25, 2026. This effort aims to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law, with a specific focus on Charleston County.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division stated that South Carolina is the next step in an ongoing initiative to ensure election transparency. The department acknowledged the cooperation of the State of South Carolina, Charleston County, and the South Carolina United States Attorney’s Office in facilitating this monitoring effort.
The Justice Department, through its Civil Rights Division, is responsible for enforcing federal voting laws that protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The department regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws across the country. This particular Republican runoff election is taking place due to the unexpected death of Senator Lindsey Graham on July 11, 2026.
In Charleston County, the monitoring team includes four Civil Rights Division attorneys, one South Carolina Assistant U.S. Attorney, and one staff employee from the South Carolina U.S. Attorney’s Office. This primary season, the Justice Department has deployed over 80 monitors across seven states and more than 200 polling locations. For comparison, during the 2022 midterm primary season, monitors were sent to nine states.
This monitoring initiative seeks to foster transparency and open communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division enforces various federal statutes designed to protect voting rights, including the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Help America Vote Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to address questions and complaints from the public regarding federal voting rights laws from now through the general election on November 3. Individuals with questions or complaints, or those wishing to request election monitoring in a specific jurisdiction, can contact the Voting Section via email at [email protected].
