White House mulls defunding civil rights election observer program that aims to protect minority voting rights
Source: CBS News
Updated on: March 12, 2026 / 6:19 PM EDT
The White House is considering ending funding for a longtime civil rights election program aimed at protecting the rights of minority populations to vote, sources familiar with the matter tell CBS News.
The federal observer program, authorized under the Voting Rights Act and launched in 1966, is an Office of Personnel Management operation that partners with the Justice Department to send neutral, third-party observers to monitor election sites to ensure voters don't experience discrimination at the polls — whether it's due to race, language barriers or disabilities.
The observers, who are both recruited and trained by the Office of Personnel Management, are expected to watch, listen and take notes without interfering in the voting process. Those observers then turn over their findings to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. The White House is exploring whether to cut spending for the program, sources say, in a discussion that comes as the country gears up for crucial midterm elections this November that will determine which party controls Congress.
As Republicans worry about the prospect of losing control of the House or Senate, President Trump is being lobbied by far-right activists who are encouraging him to declare a national emergency in order to assert federal control over voting in America.
Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-doj-civil-rights-election-observer-program-minority-voting-rights/
Full headline: White House mulls defunding civil rights election observer program that aims to protect minority voting rights, sources say
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