The Justice Department will monitor key local elections in California and New Jersey in a move that officials in both Democratic-run states are criticizing as voter suppression.
The department will monitor elections at five sites in California and one in New Jersey ahead of elections in both states on Nov. 4, the agency announced on Friday, Oct. 24. The sites in California are the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside, and Fresno, while the site being monitored in New Jersey is Passaic County.
“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. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
It's not unusual for the Justice Department to monitor local elections but the move is drawing criticism from Democrats, who say the Trump administration is targeting elections that could turn into key wins for their party.
The department's announcement came after Republican party officials in both states asked for help monitoring the elections.
