The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced plans to deploy election monitors to California and New Jersey, sparking concern among state officials and civil rights advocates. The move comes amid growing public awareness that President Donald Trump is leveraging the DOJ for political purposes, according to recent polls.
Republicans in both states had requested the monitoring for the November 4 general elections. In California, voters will decide on Proposition 50, a measure proposed by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom as a response to gerrymandering in Republican-led states. In New Jersey, residents will elect a new governor.
The DOJ stated that its Civil Rights Division regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections across the country. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized the department’s commitment to “upholding the highest standards of election integrity.” However, legal experts have criticized the actions of Trump appointees, accusing them of “serious professional misconduct that threatens the rule of law and the administration of justice.”
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Civil Rights Division, has faced scrutiny for reducing the size of the Voting Section, which enforces key federal voting protections such as the Voting Rights Act and the Help America Vote Act.
The DOJ’s monitoring efforts will focus on Passaic County in New Jersey and five counties in California: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside.
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office strongly opposed the move, stating that “this is not a federal election” and that the DOJ has no legitimate basis for interfering. The statement claimed the deployment was an attempt to suppress voter turnout, asserting that the initiative is about amending the state constitution rather than federal oversight.
Rusty Hicks, chair of the California Democratic Party, said that “no amount of election interference by the California Republican Party is going to silence the voices of California voters.”
New Jersey’s Democratic Attorney General, Matt Platkin, called the DOJ’s action “highly inappropriate,” noting that the Constitution assigns primary responsibility for elections to the states. He added that local officials are well-prepared to conduct a secure and fair election.
Early voting in New Jersey begins this Saturday. The gubernatorial race features former Republican state legislator Jack Ciattarelli against Democratic Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill. The Associated Press noted that New Jersey, along with Virginia, is one of only two states holding gubernatorial elections this fall, with the races seen as indicators of public sentiment toward Trump’s second term and the Democratic response.
Voting rights advocates and Democrats have long warned that the administration may seek to deploy federal forces at polling locations in future elections. A report from Democracy Docket suggested that Friday’s announcement has heightened these concerns.
Journalist Keith Olbermann criticized the move on social media, stating, “Trump has started his direct assault on local elections. This fascist interference must be prevented.”
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