U.S. Attorney Machen Announces Appointment of Election Day Officer
Part of Department of Justice Efforts to Protect the Right to Vote and Prosecute Ballot Fraud
| U.S. Attorney’s Office October 28, 2010 |
WASHINGTON—United States Attorney for the District of Columbia Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced today the appointment of Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Solomon to lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department's nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 2, 2010 general elections.
Mr. Solomon will serve as the District Election Officer for the District of Columbia. In that capacity, he 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.
In order to respond to complaints on November 2, 2010, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Mr. Solomon will be on duty in the District of Columbia while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at 202-353-2457.
Nationally, the FBI will have special agents in each field office and rresident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. In the District of Columbia, the FBI can be reached by the public at 202-278-2000.
Mr. Solomon's assignment is part of a nationwide Department of Justice (DOJ) initiative to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted, without incidence of discrimination, intimidation or fraud. Protecting the right to vote and combating voter fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our system of government.
The DOJ Civil Rights Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal laws that protect the right to vote, and with criminal law prohibiting discriminatory interference with that right. Civil Rights Division staff will be available at special toll-free numbers to receive complaints related to ballot access (1-800-253-3931) (TTY line 1-877-267-8971). In addition, individuals can report complaints, problems or concerns related to voting via the Internet. Forms may be submitted through a link on the Justice Department's Web page: www.justice.gov/.
The DOJ Criminal Division oversees the enforcement of federal laws that criminalize voter fraud and protect the integrity of the federal election process. The Criminal Division's Public Integrity Section and the Department's 94 U.S. Attorneys' 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, destruction of ballots or registrations, voter intimidation, alteration of votes and malfeasance by election officials, as well as federal civil law prohibiting voter intimidation that does not involve discrimination or intimidation on grounds of race or color.