Assistant United States Attorney to Monitor Elections Locally

BUFFALO, NY—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Assistant United States Attorney Russell T. Ippolito, Jr. will monitor local elections for the upcoming November 2, 2010 general election. As part of the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program, AUSA Ippolito has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO)  for the Western District of New York. In that capacity, he is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.  

“Every citizen has the right to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their vote counted without the fear of fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “If violations occur, the Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.” 

Eight years ago, former Attorney General Ashcroft established a department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this ongoing initiative are to increase the Justice Department’s ability to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur.  The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day. 

“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice.”  In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 2, 2010 and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA/DEO Ippolito will be on duty while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at  (716) 843-5843.  

In addition, 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 FBI can be reached by the public at (716) 856-7800.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.                  

“The effectiveness of our Election Day Program depends in large part on the watchfulness and cooperation of the American electorate,” said U.S. Attorney Hochul. “It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI or the Civil Rights Division.”