(NewsNation) — Federal election monitors will be sent to observe two closely watched elections next week: a redistricting vote in California and a tight governor’s race in New Jersey.
The Trump administration said the move is aimed at ensuring transparency and election security, but critics argue it amounts to voter intimidation. Republicans in both states requested the monitors.
According to the Department of Justice, federal observers from its Civil Rights Division will be present in Passaic County, New Jersey, as well as Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange and Los Angeles counties in California.
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DOJ vows to uphold election integrity
The DOJ did not specify which federal election laws it plans to enforce.
“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 a statement.
In California, voters will decide whether to approve Proposition 50, which would redraw the state’s congressional lines to add five democrats to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In New Jersey, voters will choose between Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli in a close race for the governor’s seat.
DOJ election oversight dates to 1965
It’s not unusual for the DOJ to monitor local elections. Election monitoring has been a standard practice by both Democratic and Republican administrations since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Still, Democrats argue the Trump administration is targeting state elections that could turn into key wins for their party.
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“This is about voter suppression. Full stop. And it’s a pattern, isn’t it?” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a video posted on social media. In the video’s caption, he wrote, “We will not be intimidated. California will defend free and fair elections.”
The DOJ has sent observers to specific jurisdictions or polling places in previous federal elections, particularly where there has been evidence of voting rights violations, to ensure compliance with federal civil rights laws.
California to monitor DOJ election observers
Still, some analysts argue the move could have broader political aims.
Charles Stewart, director of MIT’s Election Data and Science Lab, suggested the Trump administration could be preparing for the 2026 midterms.
“In both California and New Jersey, these are state elections, so the only federal law to be enforced is against racial discrimination in voting,” Stewart said. “I know there’s controversies in both states, but they don’t involve racial discrimination in voting. Perhaps it’s a matter of the Department of Justice getting ready for the 2026 election and using this as an opportunity to try to sort of do a dry run for a more aggressive program next year.”
California has laws allowing political parties to observe all aspects of most elections. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state will have its election monitors watching the federal teams next week.
Election observers are prohibited from interacting with voters, poll workers or ballot counting.
