The Department of Justice is getting involved with New Jersey's election, announcing the agency will monitor polling sites in Passaic County to quote, "ensure transparency, ballot security, "and compliance with federal law."

The DOJ is also sending monitors to California following requests from state Republican parties in both locations.

Now the New Jersey GOP state committee cited past voter fraud incidents in Patterson and said federal intervention was needed.

The county has become a battleground after being a Democratic stronghold, but shifting to President Trump during the last presidential race.

Election monitoring is a routine function of the department, but the focus on Jersey and California comes as each state holds closely watched races with national consequences.

Meanwhile, early in-person voting begins this weekend, available at locations in all 21 counties.

Those sites will be staffed into the evenings for nine days up until Sunday, November 2nd, giving residents lots of opportunities to get their vote in.

And a new poll offers more insight on what could influence their ballots.

According to a Rutgers-Eagleton survey, the top concern among likely voters is taxes, according to 36 percent of those surveyed, followed by cost of living at 21 percent.

Other issues like housing costs and utility bills trail far behind, suggesting the race will hinge on kitchen table economic issues rather than broader social ones.

Also notable, 55 percent of voters think the state is on the wrong track and it finds Governor Murphy underwater with a 47 percent unfavorable rating.

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