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Attorney General Bondi deployed federal election monitors to polling sites in New Jersey and California following GOP requests

On October 24, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the Department of Justice would deploy federal election monitors to polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside, and Fresno), following requests from Republican state officials. The monitors, described as election observers, were positioned at polling locations to oversee election administration.

Jurisdiction
Federal
Location
Washington, D.C.

Abuses documented

Actors

On October 24, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the Department of Justice would deploy federal election monitors to polling sites in Passaic County, New Jersey, and five California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Kern, Riverside, and Fresno). The monitors were dispatched following explicit requests from Republican state officials seeking federal oversight of Democratic-controlled county election boards.

Federal election observers at polling locations have historically raised concerns about voter intimidation. The deployment following partisan GOP requests to specific counties—rather than nationwide uniform deployment—underscores the politicization of the monitoring effort. Passaic County in particular has a substantial population of Latino voters and residents of color, raising questions about whether the targeting reflects an enforcement pattern.

The announcement generated immediate concern from voting rights advocates and election officials who noted the potential chilling effect of federal law enforcement presence at voting locations. Senator Andy Kim and other Democratic officials contested the legal basis for the deployment, arguing it violated voting rights protections.

Why we recorded this

The integrity of free and fair elections depends on voters' ability to cast ballots without intimidation. When the federal government deploys federal monitors to polling locations following explicit partisan requests—targeting specific counties rather than applying oversight uniformly—it undermines this right by creating the appearance and reality of voter coercion.

Sources

  1. DOJ to send election monitors to Passaic County — New Jersey Globe primary accessed October 24, 2025
  2. DOJ prepares to send election monitors to California, New Jersey following requests from state GOPs — Spectrum Local primary accessed October 24, 2025
  3. Trump administration to send election monitors to Passaic County — New Jersey Monitor investigative accessed October 24, 2025
  4. Statement on DOJ election monitors — Senator Andy Kim secondary accessed October 24, 2025

See also