Federal officials will monitor polling locations on Election Day in Passaic County after several Republicans demanded stronger security measures.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Friday the monitoring is being done to ensure compliance with federal law. Five other locations in California, including Los Angeles, will also be monitored by DOJ officials on Nov. 4.
“Election protection means making sure every eligible voter can participate freely and every lawful vote is counted,” said Alina Habba, the acting U.S. attorney for New Jersey. “Our office is committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to ensure transparency, security, and public confidence in the election process.”
Republicans threatened a lawsuit earlier this week claiming the Passaic County Board of Elections failed to adopt stronger security procedures to protect ballots.
Republicans called for installing video cameras where vote-by-mail ballots are stored, creating access logbooks and requiring one Democrat and one Republican to be present during signature verification.
The New Jersey State Democratic Committee declined to comment and referred questions to the county Board of Elections, which did not respond to a request for comment.
Jason Sena, a lawyer representing the New Jersey Republican State Committee, wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking it to intervene.
Passaic County has faced controversy over election fraud allegations in recent years.
An investigation launched in 2020 by the then-state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal into voter fraud involving multiple Paterson City Council members resulted in charges being filed.
Additional charges were filed in April by the state Attorney General’s Office.
Passaic County, once considered solidly Democratic, is now a swing county. It is one of New Jersey’s most populous counties and one that President Donald Trump won in the 2024 presidential election.
New Jersey’s election this fall is closely watched, with voters picking a new governor.
NJ Advance Media staff writer Jelani Gibson contributed to this report.
Victoria Gladstone
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