WATCH: California attorney general talks about Prop. 50

By Dave Mason
The Center Square

California has nothing to hide.

That’s Attorney General Rob Bonta’s response to The Center Square’s question about the U.S. Department of Justice assigning monitors to five counties for Tuesday’s election on congressional redistricting.

The counties are Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Kern and Fresno. Elsewhere in the U.S., the DOJ is sending monitors to Passaic County, N.J.

The monitoring is being overseen by the DOJ’s Civil Rights division. The DOJ said its goal is to ensure compliance with federal laws including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the DOJ is committing its resources to ensure Americans “get the fair, free and transparent elections they deserve.”

In California, the congressional redistricting measure, Proposition 50, is the only statewide measure on the ballot. It is designed to pick up five Democratic seats in the U.S. House to counter redistricting that the Texas Legislature passed to add five Republican seats in the 2026 midterm election.

“We welcome transparency to California with respect to our elections,” Bonta told The Center Square Monday morning during a virtual press conference that also included attorneys general from Colorado and Massachusetts.

Bonta called the Golden State’s elections secure, safe, accurate and reliable. He added the federal DOJ won’t be the only one watching.

Observers of Tuesday’s election vary from representatives of the Democratic and Republican parties to nonprofits such as the League of Women Voters and the Secretary of State’s Office, Bonta said. He added his office will have election observers as well.

But Bonta noted federal monitors “must stay in their own lane.”

“What is their lane? They can sit back, be quiet and observe like everybody else. That’s what monitors do,” Bonta told The Center Square. “They can’t intimidate voters. They can’t prevent voters from exercising their right to vote. They can’t physically touch or manipulate the equipment for voting.

“We feel they will be convinced of what everyone else in California knows to be true, that these are accurate and safe and reliable and secure elections,” Bonta said.

The Center Square reached out Monday to the U.S. Department of Justice, which said it couldn’t comment beyond what it already said in its news release announcing the monitors.

“The Department of Justice will do everything necessary to protect the votes of eligible American citizens, ensuring our elections are safe and secure,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon, who oversees the Civil Rights Division. “Transparent election processes and election monitoring are critical tools for safeguarding our elections and ensuring public trust in the integrity of our elections.”

Bonta said his office is prepared for any possible interference with elections. He noted California National Guard troops, including any federalized members, and other armed officers are not allowed near polls.

For much of California, there won’t be anything to vote on except Prop. 50. Most of the state’s counties, cities and districts prefer to hold their elections in even-numbered years to save on cost and boost turnout. But there are regular and special elections in 17 of California’s 58 counties for some cities and districts, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday.