City of Fresno sends monitors to polls

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A late-afternoon property league aft a closed-door league with metropolis assembly members revealed a astonishment determination by the City of Fresno.

"The City Council has directed our City Attorney's Office to found a programme wherever we volition beryllium having our metropolis attorney's unit monitoring polling sites," said Nelson Esparza, District 7 City Council Member.

The radical confirmed the enactment with a 6-0 vote, with assembly subordinate Tyler Maxwell absent from the vote.

The determination to spot metropolis monitors astatine much than a twelve polling sites wrong metropolis limits successful Tuesday's upcoming Special Election.

"The intent for sending these predetermination observers is not partisan. It is to guarantee there's nary elector intimidation; nary elector interference, and to marque definite each votes are counted," said Fresno City Attorney Andrew Janz.

"Observers does not alteration however we bash things astatine all," said James Kus, Fresno County Clerk Registrar of Voters.

Kus learning of the astonishment announcement done outreach and was not informed by the City.

"I've not had immoderate interaction with the City of Fresno regarding observers. That's not uncommon but it is thing we truly admit occurring beforehand," said Kus.

The City acted successful effect to an announcement made by the Department of Justice past week stating it would beryllium sending national predetermination monitors to 5 counties successful the authorities -- including Fresno.

The Chairwoman of the California Republican Party, Corrin Rankin, sent a missive to the DOJ connected October 20 requesting oversight astatine a fistful of countries with discrepancies successful the past, including Fresno.

In that letter, Rankin highlights an lawsuit successful 20-22 wherever the County closed the ballot cure deadline aft informing a radical of voters it would beryllium unfastened later.

"It benignant of moves the ball, moves the needle and the connection wasn't precise clear. So, this clip I conscionable privation to marque definite that the things we're being told arsenic a party, for my volunteers and each of our officials are the things that really hap this time," said Rankin.

Action News addressed those nonstop concerns with Kus.

"The Republican Party noted that backmost successful 2022, we had immoderate disorder astir our cured ballot deadline and I received that feedback backmost successful 2022 from campaigns and we made a alteration close away," said Kus.

City monitors said it volition articulation authorities and national predetermination monitors arsenic aboriginal arsenic Friday done Tuesday, pending resources from the City Attorney's Office.

"If they spot thing unusual, they volition fto america cognize and, you know, we volition instrumentality enactment if necessary," said Rankin.

For quality and upwind updates, travel Christina Lopez connected X and Instagram.