United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Missouri has Established a Hotline for Handling Election Fraud and Voting Rights Calls

St. Louis, MO -  United States Attorney Richard Callahan today announced that on Election Day, the United States Attorney’s Office will have a hotline for citizens to call on election day regarding complaints of possible election fraud, voter intimidation and any other forms of election abuses.  Hotline calls will be answered by Assistant United States Attorneys from the time the polls open at 6 a.m. until the polls close at 7 p.m.  The hotline number is 314-539-7733.

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.  Federal law also protects voters from acts of intimidation and harassment.

In addition to the United States Attorney’s Office, the St. Louis FBI will also have special agents available to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The St. Louis FBI field office can be reached by the public at 314-589-2500.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can also be made directly 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.

United States Attorney Callahan said, "Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation and vigilance of the American people.  It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud report that information to the local election authority, my office, the FBI or the Civil Rights Division."