DOJ To Monitor Polls In Heavily Latino Counties During Upcoming Elections

The Department of Justice has announced that it will be sending federal election monitors to polling places in six heavily Latino counties in New Jersey and California for the upcoming elections.

According to HuffPost, the Justice Department said Friday (October 24) that it will be sending monitors to polling locations in Passaic County, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, Fresno, Riverside, Kern, and Orange counties in California for the November 4 election.

The move comes as the Trump administration continues to cast doubt on election integrity. Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order attempting to require proof of citizenship at polling sites, though a court later blocked it.

The DOJ said Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon will oversee the monitoring effort, which the agency says is intended to “ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”

“The Department of Justice will do everything necessary to protect the votes of eligible American citizens... and ensure public trust in the integrity of our elections," Dhillon said.

Critics called out the DOJ's move to implement election oversight in heavily Latino counties.

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin (D) called the DOJ’s plan to send monitors to Passaic County “highly inappropriate,” saying the agency “has not even attempted to identify a legitimate basis for its actions.” The New Jersey GOP had requested observers in Passaic County after local officials denied Republican efforts to install cameras and logbooks in mail-vote counting areas.

Election law expert Rick Hasen of UCLA described the DOJ’s plan as a “test run for 2026" ahead of the midterms.

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