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Press Release

Justice Department Election Day Program

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

United States Attorney Brandon J. Fremin announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office and the local Office of the FBI, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters, are prepared to receive and review allegations of election fraud and voting rights abuses related to the upcoming November 6, 2018, general election.

The Justice Department’s Election Day Program 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.

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, submission of fraudulent votes, and voting for another person against his wishes or without his input.  The law contains special protection for the rights of voters.  Voters have a right to cast their own votes or to be assisted by a person of their choice.  Additionally, voters have a right to vote free from acts of intimidation or harassment.  For example, actions designed to intimidate or interrupt 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. 

To report suspected election fraud or interference with the right to vote, members of the public can contact the United States Attorney’s Office at 225-389-0443 or, during polling hours on Election Day, at 225-955-8283.  Members of the public can also make such reports to the FBI at 225-291-5159.  Additionally, complaints regarding possible violations of voting rights laws can be made directly to the Justice Department’s Voting Section by phone to 800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax to 202-307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov, or on the Internet at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index/php.

United States Attorney Fremin said, “Deeply embedded in our identity as Americans is the bedrock principle that our citizens must be free to exercise the right to vote without fear of interference and to have that vote counted without being compromised.  The DOJ and this Office will work tirelessly to protect those principles and to protect our citizens’ voting rights to ensure our process is free from election fraud.  Anyone with specific information about fraud, discrimination, or other interference with the integrity of our election process should immediately make that information available to my Office, the FBI or the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.”

Updated October 31, 2018

Topic
Civil Rights