FROM THE HILL: The Department of Justice (DOJ) will send election monitors to vote centers in California and New Jersey during the two states’ off-year elections next month.
DOJ officials will monitor six counties between the two states. They will be in Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno counties, and they will be in Passaic County in New Jersey, the department said in a statement.
The monitoring decision comes as New Jersey holds an open gubernatorial seat and California is holding a special election to redraw its congressional map in fending off Republican redistricting efforts across the country.
The California GOP sent a letter to Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, asking him to provide monitors in the five California counties, according to the AP.
“In recent elections, we have received reports of irregularities in these counties that we fear will undermine either the willingness of voters to participate in the election or their confidence in the announced results of the election,” GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin wrote, the AP reported.
In the statement, the department made clear that it “regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities across the country.”
“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,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in the statement.
“We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free and transparent elections they deserve,” Bondi added.
Although election monitoring is a routine function of the Justice Department, Brandon Richards, a spokesman for Gov. Gavin Newsom, worried that the DOJ would “interfere” with California’s election.
“Deploying these federal forces appears to be an intimidation tactic meant for one thing: suppress the vote,” he said.
But those who routinely handle ballots aren’t concerned.
AP reports:
Orange County Registrar of Voters Bob Page said it’s common to have local, state, federal and even international observers and welcomes anyone who wants to watch the county’s operations.
Los Angeles County Clerk Dean Logan said election observers are standard practice across the country and that the county, with 5.8 million registered voters, is continuously updating and verifying its voter records.
“Voters can have confidence their ballot is handled securely and counted accurately,” he said.
“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi says federal observers will monitor elections in California and New Jersey to ensure ballot security and compliance. pic.twitter.com/91dhXtFNi6
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 24, 2025
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