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Press Release

U.S. Attorney Appoints District Election Officer To Lead District's Election Day Program

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – United States Attorney Dayle Elieson announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Allison Reese has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Nevada, and in that capacity 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. As DEO, AUSA Reese will lead the District’s efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2018, general elections.

The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations 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.

“Few things are more important than a citizen’s right to cast a ballot on Election Day without fear of interference or discrimination. Nevadans can be confident that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will work to protect the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Elieson.

Federal law protects against such crimes as 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 acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to make their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. 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 8, 2016, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, U.S. Attorney Elieson stated that AUSA/DEO Reese will be working hand-in-hand with the FBI in this District while the polls are open. If there are complaints or concerns about Election Day, the public should contact the FBI who will have special agents 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 Las Vegas field office can be reached at (702) 385-1281 or at TIPS.FBI.GOV.

United States Attorney Elieson said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in part on the electorate’s cooperation. Those who have information about discrimination or election fraud should immediately contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office or the FBI.”

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC, by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.

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Updated August 10, 2021

Topics
Civil Rights
Voting and Elections
Component