BY MIRABEL ODETA
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s central human resources agency, said Thursday that it is reviewing the costs of a federal election observer program designed to monitor and address racial discrimination in voting.
Officials said the agency is examining whether the program’s expenses are justified and whether any reforms should be introduced. According to the office, the initiative cost about $2.5 million in 2025. The review is being conducted in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice, which plays a key role in enforcing federal voting rights protections.
The Office of Personnel Management clarified that the election observer program is limited to specific situations. Federal observers are only deployed when the Attorney General of the United States receives a written complaint that is considered credible and alleges racial discrimination in the voting process.
The federal observer system has already been significantly reduced over the past decade following a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court in the 2013 case involving Shelby County. That ruling effectively dismantled a major enforcement mechanism of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by striking down the provision that required certain states and jurisdictions with a history of racial discrimination to obtain federal approval before changing their voting laws.
The Voting Rights Act itself was one of the most significant legislative achievements of the American civil rights movement during the 1960s. The law aimed to eliminate racial barriers to voting and provide federal oversight in areas where discrimination had historically prevented minority citizens from participating fully in elections.
Earlier Thursday, CBS News reported that the White House is considering eliminating funding for the federal observer program. The initiative has long been used to help ensure that minority voters are able to cast ballots without intimidation, discrimination, or procedural barriers.
When asked about the report, the White House directed inquiries to the Justice Department. A spokesperson for the Justice Department told CBS News that the agency does not currently plan to end its own election monitoring activities, which are carried out by the department’s Civil Rights Division.
According to the Office of Personnel Management, the federal election observer program is currently active in three locations where court orders authorize monitoring. These locations include Union County, Pawtucket, and two regions in Alaska.
The policy review comes at a politically sensitive time in the United States. The country is preparing for its upcoming midterm elections, scheduled for November. Midterm contests typically determine control of Congress and often serve as a referendum on the sitting president’s administration.
Currently, the Republican Party holds a narrow majority in both chambers of the United States Congress. Donald Trump, who is serving as president, has urged Republican lawmakers to pursue stricter voting rules ahead of the elections, arguing that tighter regulations are needed to strengthen election integrity.
Voting rights advocates, however, have warned that reducing oversight or tightening voting rules could disproportionately affect minority communities. With debates over election security and voting access continuing across the country, the future of the federal observer program could become another flashpoint in the broader political battle over how American elections are conducted.
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