"The DOJ announced Friday that it is planning to monitor polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five counties in southern and central California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno. The goal, according to the DOJ, is "to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law." "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 Pamela Bondi said in a statement to The Associated Press."
"Election monitoring is a routine function of the Justice Department, but the focus on California and New Jersey comes as both states are set to hold closely-watched elections with national consequences on Nov. 4. New Jersey has an open seat for governor that has attracted major spending by both parties and California is holding a special election aimed at redrawing the state's congressional map to counter Republican gerrymandering efforts elsewhere ahead of the 2026 midterms."
"The DOJ's efforts are also the latest salvo in the GOP's preoccupation with election integrity after President Donald Trump spent years refusing to accept the results of the 2020 election and falsely railing against mail-in voting as rife with fraud. Democrats fear the new administration will attempt to gain an upper hand in next year's midterms with similarly unfounded allegations of fraud."
The Department of Justice plans to monitor polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five counties in California: Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside and Fresno. The stated goal is to ensure transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law. Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the monitoring upholds election integrity. The monitoring coincides with high-profile Nov. 4 off-year elections, including an open New Jersey gubernatorial race and a California special election to redraw congressional maps. Republican state parties requested DOJ assistance, while some Democrats criticized the move and New Jersey officials called it inappropriate amid partisan tensions over election integrity claims.
Read at ABC7 San Francisco
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]