Overview
- In a letter to Civil Rights Division chief Harmeet Dhillon, Republicans ask for monitors to oversee receipt and processing of mail ballots and to watch access to the Passaic County Board of Elections around the clock.
- Justice Department spokesman Gates McGavick says the agency is reviewing the request to ensure elections remain free, fair, and transparent.
- The New Jersey attorney general’s office says the state administers elections and characterizes federal involvement in November’s gubernatorial contest as inappropriate.
- Passaic County’s shift to President Donald Trump in 2024 elevates its role in the Nov. 4 governor’s race between Republican Jack Ciattarelli and Democrat Mikie Sherrill.
- The GOP cites a 2020 Paterson council race that was rerun after fraud charges and discarded mail ballots, while reporting notes that voter fraud is rare and safeguards exist.