The American Democracy Minute Radio News Report & Podcast for Oct. 28, 2025
The Trump Department of Justice announced October 24th it would deploy election monitors at five California counties on November 4th. DOJ says it is to ensure transparency & ballot security, but most of the counties are heavily Latino, competitive or lean liberal, and the Proposition 50 redistricting question is on the ballot.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
Proposition 50 would suspend California’s independent redistricting commission until 2030, allowing the legislature to gerrymander more Democratic Congressional seats, countering five Texas seats gerrymandered at President Trump’s request.
Kern, Riverside, Fresno, Orange and Los Angeles counties were targeted, largely blue or toss up counties. CalMatters reports that Fresno, Kern and Riverside counties are majority Latino. A poll shows 54% of Latinos support Proposition 50. According to the Associated Press, the monitoring was requested by the California GOP.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Hispanic leaders had warned that the Trump administration might deploy Immigration & Customs Enforcement agents at the polls, a charge the administration denies. Quoted in CalMatters, Christian Arana of the Latino Community Foundation said, “These are citizens of this country. And if they are concerned about immigration or any type of federal presence at in-person voting sites, that is alarming.”
We have more at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
U.S. Department of Justice – Justice Department to Monitor Polling Sites in California, New Jersey
CalMatters – Trump’s DOJ is sending election monitors to California with voting on Prop. 50 underway
CalMatters – California Latinos take pride in casting ballots in person. ICE at polls could deter that
De Los/Los Angeles Times – What are Calfornia’s Latinx voters most concerned about?
De Los/Los Angeles Times – Poll of California LatinX Voters
Princeton Gerrymandering Project – California Congressional Districts
LAist – Newsom says Trump is ‘rigging the election’ with federal poll monitors
Groups Taking Action:
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – How to Register And Vote in Your State
Please follow us on Facebook and Bluesky Social, and SHARE!
Find all of our reports at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Want ADM sent to your email? Sign up here!
Are you a radio station? Find our broadcast files at Pacifica Radio Network’s Audioport and PRX
#News #Democracy #DemocracyNews #FreedomtoVote #LatinoVote #California #Prop50