Sunday, October 26, 2025

Feds to Monitor Polling Places in Los Angeles County on November 4

CITY NEWS SERVICE

The U.S. Department of Justice plans to monitor polling sites in five California counties — including Los Angeles and Orange — during the Nov. 4 election in which voters will decide whether to approve a temporary statewide redistricting aimed at adding more Democrat representation in Congress.

Monitors will also be stationed in Riverside,  Fresno and Kern counties. The DOJ will also monitor polling places in Passaic County, New Jersey.

“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,” U.S. 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.”

DOJ officials said the monitoring effort is designed “to ensure transparency, ballot security and compliance with federal law.”

The announcement came days after the California Republican Party requested that polling places be monitored in select counties due to “reports of irregularities” in recent elections.

“Our democracy depends on free and fair elections,” Acting U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli said in a statement. “We will work tirelessly to uphold and protect the integrity of the election process.”

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber issued a statement saying the DOJ had not provided “any justification” for the need to deploy monitors “in what is a nonfederal special election.” However, the outcome of the Nov. 4 election could have a significant impact on federal elections, especially the composition of the U.S. House of Representatives.

If Prop 50 passes, California would use new, legislature-drawn congressional district maps, which are expected to make several currently Republican-held districts more competitive for Democrats. Analysts project that Democrats could gain up to five additional seats from California, potentially swinging majority control in the House away from Republicans.

Weber insisted state elections are secure and transparent, and said the state will ensure voters can cast their ballots “without intimidation.”

“We will not permit tactics masquerading as oversight to erode voter confidence or intimidate Californians,” Weber said. “Our voters have earned the right to cast their ballots free from surveillance or interference — from anyone. In California, election integrity is not a talking point; it’s a practice built on decades of professionalism and public trust. We intend to keep it that way.”

The Nov. 4 election will decide the politically charged Proposition 50, which would temporarily redraw California’s congressional district maps in hopes of increasing Democrat representation. The proposal, spearheaded by Gov. Gavin Newsom, was launched in an effort to counter redistricting efforts in Texas that added five more Republican-leaning districts.