The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana has appointed a “District Election Officer” to monitor federal election law violations as early voting continues.
Zachary A. Myers, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, announced Thursday that Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston will lead the efforts of the Southern District of Indiana’s Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming Nov. 5 general election. Preston has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the Southern District of Indiana, and will be responsible for overseeing the southern district’s handling of Election Day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Attorney’s office said in a news release.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence,” Myers said in the news release.” The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
Myers’ office says the DOJ has an important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers and election fraud. Justice Department officials will address these violations wherever they occur.
The DOJ’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the department for the public to report possible federal election law violations, the news release says.
Federal law protects against crimes such as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation,and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice — where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English, the news release says.
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice,” Myers said.
In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Myers’ office says Preston will be on duty in the southern district while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at 317-226-6333.
Additionally, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The Indianapolis field office can be reached by the public at 317-595-4000, according to the news release.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C., by an online complaint form at civilrights.justice.gov or by phone at 800-253-3931.
However, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, the public is encouraged call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency, the news release says.
