Angie Nixon supporters outside USF holding signs Credit: Dave Decker / Creative Loafing Tampa Bay

The U.S. Department of Justice announced today that it’s sending federal poll watchers to all 50 states for the first time, and Hillsborough is one of five Florida counties affected.

Gerri Kramer, a spokesperson for the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections, told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that they’re aware of the poll watchers, who may be traveling between precincts today.

In Florida, poll watchers are also being sent to Leon, Miami Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

A review of other counties on the list shows a number of high-population counties with historically high Democrat voter turnout.

Florida statute prohibits the poll watchers from entering any polling place. They are allowed to stand outside and check to ensure that the site is compliant with federal voting rules, such as being accessible to people with disabilities and displaying Spanish language signage where required.

Kramer said poll watchers have been sent to Hillsborough before, and there have never been any issues.

On Oct. 16, the NAACP asked a federal judge to prevent federal poll watchers from being sent to voting sites nationwide. The judge denied the motion, but said that all poll watchers must be clerical or administrative personnel.

Per the judge’s ruling, poll watchers can’t be sworn law enforcement officers and can’t make arrests. Federal law also generally prohibits armed federal agents from being stationed in polling places.

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This article appears in Oct. 29 – Nov. 04, 2026.