The U.S. Justice Department announced on Friday that it will deploy monitors to polling sites in six counties across California and New Jersey in preparation for the upcoming elections on November 4. This initiative aims to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law as voters prepare to cast their ballots in less than two weeks.
Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the significance of transparency at polling places, stating, “Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity.” This monitoring effort is part of a longstanding practice by the Justice Department, which dates back several decades, though recent political dynamics have led to renewed focus on federal involvement in local elections.
The decision to monitor polling sites comes after the Republican parties in California and New Jersey sent letters to the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. In their correspondence, they requested monitors in specific counties and raised allegations regarding potential election irregularities. This move reflects ongoing tensions surrounding election integrity, particularly as the narrative of widespread voter fraud—debunked since the 2020 election—continues to gain traction among many within the Republican Party.
Federal election monitors will be dispatched to Passaic County in New Jersey, along with the following counties in California: Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange, and Los Angeles. CNN has reached out to the election departments in these counties for their responses regarding the monitoring.
Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan stated, “The presence of election observers is not unusual and is a standard practice across the country.” He further noted that “federal election monitors, like all election observers, are welcome to view election activities at designated locations to confirm transparency and integrity in the election process.” Logan reassured that California has clear laws and guidelines that support observation while prohibiting any interference in the electoral process.
Fresno County Clerk James Kus mentioned to CNN that he had not yet been contacted by the Justice Department regarding the monitoring. He expressed that “the Fresno County Clerk/Registrar of Voters welcomes all observers for our elections,” highlighting the common practice of having various observers, including local, state, federal, and sometimes international, to ensure elections are accessible, accurate, secure, and transparent.
Enedina Chhim, community outreach manager for the Orange County Registrar of Voters, confirmed that the department had been notified by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California that two attorneys would be observing elections in Orange County from November 4 to 7. “Orange County elections are always transparent,” Chhim affirmed.
Under the current administration, several moves have been made to assert a larger federal role in elections, especially as the midterm elections approach next year. The Justice Department has begun demanding that states provide detailed information about their voters, including sensitive personal data such as partial Social Security numbers, in an effort to uncover instances of fraud.
Additionally, former President Donald Trump has sought to implement stricter voter identification requirements and has proposed ending most mail-in voting, a method widely used by millions of Americans. Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order aimed at broad changes in how elections are conducted, although such changes primarily fall under state jurisdiction, and parts of the order have faced legal challenges.
This ongoing situation underscores the heightened scrutiny surrounding the electoral process as the nation approaches a pivotal election period.
