DENVER -- Election officials are already warning that voting on Tuesday may be slow. That's because of the lengthy ballot and because many cities are using new voting machines and new vote centers.

And now 7NEWS has learned that the federal government will be watching.

The U.S. Department of Justice has identified Denver as one of 65 cities in 20 states where problems are anticipated and are sending monitors to Arapahoe County, Adams County and Denver.

In identifying locations where federal monitors may be needed, the Civil Rights Division has sought out the views of many organizations, including advocacy groups for minority voters and voters with disabilities, as well as state and local officials.

The DOJ said that the reason why they are doing it in Denver is because they have not been in the metro area for awhile, said Dana Williams with the Secretary of State's Office.

"We're hoping everything will be fine. It's just going to take longer than usual," said Brian Mason, with the Colorado Democratic Party.

The hope is that it will take longer to vote because of the high voter turnout and not because of the new electronic voting machines. Some early voters have said they don't trust the new machines but others said they're faster and allow a voter to make changes easier.

"If people are not comfortable with that technology, they have the ability to vote on the old Advantage machine, with the big 6 foot curtain around it, and they can cast their vote that way," said Alton Dillard with the Denver Election Commission.

Even with the old machine, there is a new way to vote in Denver and several other counties. The old precinct system is out and the new voting centers are in.

"I'm worried that someone will show up at the precinct and see that there's nothing there and think, 'OK, I don't get to vote this year,' and that's not true," said Mason.

The old precincts are supposed to have signs that tell voters, "No voting at this location. Instead, go to any of the 55 voting centers."

"No vote center is more than two miles from any Denver registered voter," said Dillard.

"I think it's a good thing because you can just go anywhere to vote," said voter Ella Green.

Justice Department To Enforce Federal Laws Concerning Voting

The Justice Department's Criminal and Civil Rights Divisions enforce specific federal laws that help to ensure that all qualified voters have an opportunity to cast their ballots and have them counted.

"The Department of Justice is committed to both ballot access and ballot integrity and together these ensure that elections reflect the will of the people, which is the foundation of our great nation," said Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales

On Election Day, the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department's Criminal Division will have federal prosecutors readily available to receive complaints and take any appropriate action. When the polls open, the Department of Justice, both in Washington, D.C. and in the states, will be available to handle complaints and open investigations.

On Election Day, voters will be able to file complaints online on the Voting Section home page.

Civil Rights Division personnel will be available at a specially staffed toll free number, 1-800-253-3931, to receive complaints, and on a dedicated TTY line, 1-888-305-3228.

Since the Attorney General's Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative was launched in 2002, more than 120 individuals have been charged with election fraud offenses. Eighty-six people have been convicted of voter fraud in that time frame, the DOJ said.

Nearly 300 election fraud investigations have been started since the initiative began in 2002. There are now approximately 200 investigations ongoing throughout the country.