U.S. Attorney Terwilliger Appoints Election Officers for EDVA

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – United States Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger announced today that a team of Assistant U.S. Attorneys across the Eastern District will lead efforts in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming general election.

“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy,” said G. Zachary Terwilliger, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “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.”

DEOs are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights concerns in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.

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 through election day.

Additionally, 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.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.