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U.S. Justice Department officials on Monday notified officials in Bergen and Middlesex counties that they would be among 44 jurisdictions in 18 states being monitored by representatives of its civil rights division.
The monitors focused on compliance with federal voting rights laws, NorthJersey.com reports.
National complaints regarding possible violations of federal voting rights were being accepted through the Justice Department's call center at 800-253-3931.
Voter fraud was being watched scrupulously in Philadelphia, where District Attorney Larry Krasner on Monday outlined consequences for anyone attempting to steal votes from city residents.
"If you are planning in Philadelphia to try to steal our votes, I got something for ya," he said. "I got a jail cell, I have charging papers, and when you get to the end of the process, I have a Philadelphia jury you can tell why you thought it was okay to steal their votes."
In 2016, the Justice Department reportedly staffed 67 locations in 28 states.
The practice of monitoring voting centers is not unusual, Bergen County Elections Superintendent Patricia DiConstanzo said, and has been done across parts of New Jersey before, including Union County.
This is the first presidential election since 1980 that the Republican National Committee is not under court-ordered restrictions for poll-watching activities, NJ.com reports.
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