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Press Release
Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – Patrick Miles, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, named a federal prosecutor with over 30 years’ experience as the District’s Election Officer. Miles says Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Daniels will handle claims of voter discrimination, intimidation, and fraud on November 8, 2016. Mr. Daniels can be reached until the polls close on election day at: (616) 808-2014.
U.S. Attorney Miles explained: "My office and the U.S. Department of Justice will ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation or fraud in the election process."
U.S. Attorney Miles noted that his office and local FBI agents can receive, investigate and pursue complaints of voter discrimination, intimidation, and fraud. His office coordinates and works with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section to enforce the civil provisions of a wide range of federal statutes that protect the right to vote including: the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Help America Vote Act and the Civil Rights Acts. Among other things, collectively, these laws:
The U.S. Attorney’s office also works in conjunction with the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section to enforce federal criminal statutes that prohibit voter intimidation and voter suppression based on race, color, national origin or religion.
U.S. Attorney Miles said that on Election Day, November 8, 2016, the Civil Rights Division will implement a comprehensive program to help protect the right to vote, including:
Criminal Division and the Department’s 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices:
The Department’s Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize certain forms of election fraud and vindicate the integrity of the federal election process.
The Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and the department’s 94 U.S. Attorney’s Offices are responsible for enforcing the federal criminal laws that prohibit various forms of election fraud, such as vote buying, multiple voting, submission of fraudulent ballots or registrations, alteration of votes and malfeasance by election officials. The Criminal Division is also responsible for enforcing federal criminal law prohibiting voter intimidation for reasons other than race, color, national origin or religion (as noted above, voter intimidation that has a basis in race, color, national origin or religion is addressed by the Civil Rights Division).
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices around the country designate Assistant U.S. Attorneys who serve as district election officers (DEOs) in the respective districts. As the DEO in the Western District of Michigan, Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniels is responsible for overseeing potential election-crime matters in their districts and coordinating with the department’s election-crime experts in Washington, D.C.
On and after Nov. 8, 2016, U.S. Attorney Miles’ Office will work with specially trained FBI personnel to ensure that complaints from the public involving possible voter fraud are handled appropriately. Specifically:
"Free and fair elections are a necessity in the United States. Protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are thus essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government," stated U.S. Attorney Miles. He encourages anyone who has information suggesting voting discrimination or ballot fraud to contact the appropriate authorities.
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