California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that the state plans to deploy its own election observers on Election Day. Their mission: to monitor the federal election monitors being sent by the Trump administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ).
The DOJ stated last Friday that it would send federal election watchers to both California and New Jersey as both states face closely watched elections. While federal observers are typically a standard procedure, AG Bonta expressed concern over the current political climate.
“These are not normal times,” Bonta told reporters during a virtual news conference, addressing the DOJ’s decision. He confirmed that the state would provide “oversight” of the federal monitors.
“Of course, there will be observers of the so-called election monitors that the DOJ is sending,” Bonta said. “They will not be allowed to interfere in ways that the law prohibits.”
While refusing to name the individuals or organizations that will be monitoring the federal officials, Bonta assured the public there would be accountability. “I can’t name names but there is going to be oversight and accountability,” he added.
Key Election and Oversight Concerns
The heightened focus on California’s election is largely due to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed Proposition 50, a gerrymandering measure that could potentially unseat five of the state’s nine Republican House members. The move to redraw California’s congressional map follows Texas’s recent redistricting effort.
The decision by the DOJ to send observers followed a request from California GOP Chairwoman Corrin Rankin.
On October 20, Rankin sent a letter to DOJ Civil Rights Division attorney Harmeet Dhillon, requesting federal oversight due to concerns about “irregularities” in certain counties that the GOP fears “will undermine either the willingness of voters to participate in the election or their confidence in the announced results.”
California’s election processes have been under scrutiny for various reasons, including the time it takes to certify results, its lack of voter identification requirements, and reliance on mail-in ballots. Gov. Newsom previously signed legislation:
- Assembly Bill 37 (2021): Made universal mail-in voting permanent.
- SB 1174 (2024): Prohibited local governments from requiring voters to present identification at the polls.
The deployment of state monitors to watch federal monitors sets the stage for a unique and highly scrutinized Election Day in California, underscoring the deep political tensions surrounding the state’s voting procedures and outcomes.
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