California Attorney General Rob Bonta said Tuesday afternoon that his office will deploy election observers in response to concerns that Justice Department monitors could intimidate voters.Bonta said California was taking the same approach it used during the previous two elections, when the state dispatched its own observers alongside federal monitors.The DOJ's Civil Rights Division has sent 1,000 monitors across the country to ensure election integrity and protect Americans' right to vote, a plan that has been public knowledge for months.The monitors will be personnel from across the DOJ, U.S.
Attorney's Offices and employees from the Office of Personnel Management.The department confirmed Tuesday that while federal election monitoring is routine, this year's operation is the largest in its history, with monitors deployed to all 50 states for the first time.California Attorney General Rob Bonta speaks as Gov.Gavin Newsom listens during a news conference at Gemperle Orchard on April 16, 2025, in Ceres, California.
(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)DOJ FIRES BACK AT DEM AG OVER ELECTION DAY GUIDANCE TELLING OFFICIALS WHEN TO CALL COPS ON FEDERAL AGENTSThe DOJ also released a list of cities where monitors are being deployed.In California, they are being sent to Los Angeles, Alameda, Sacramento and San Diego.Bonta and other critics have argued that the unusually large federal presence could spook voters or discourage some from casting ballots.Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, who leads the Civil Rights Division, told Bloomberg in an August interview that the role of DOJ election monitors would be to observe election practices and pursue investigations into any possible instances of fraud after the fact — not to intervene directly while people are voting.In Tuesday's announcement, the DOJ added that monitors will also be responsible for ensuring that polling places are accessible for those with disabilities.Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department's Ci...