Thread: U.S. Attorney’s office sets up hotlines for voter fraud

U.S. Attorney’s office sets up hotlines to report voter fraud

KMOV.com
Posted on October 27, 2010 at 6:57 PM
Updated Wednesday, Oct 27 at 10:53 PM

St. Louis (KMOV) –The U.S. Attorney’s office has set up an election fraud hotline, and it says that there’s no reason to suspect this election will be any more problematic than any other, despite the strong passions surrounding it.

Tea party members across the country have said they plan to question voters on election day to root out voter fraud. But members of the St. Louis Tea Party say they will not be participating in this effort.
One member says they will be trusting the system to work the way it is set up.

However, just because they won’t be looking for voter fraud doesn’t mean they don’t have concerns. They say voters need to educate themselves on voter fraud issues.

Restrictions on electioneering include exit polls, surveys, wearing candidate apparel, passing out literature or talking to a voter about a candidate or an issue within 25 feet of the polling place. All of these things are a crime.

To report election fraud, call:

Assistant United States Attorney John Bodenhausen: 314/539-7733

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. The FBI can be reached by the public at 314/589-2500.

The State of Missouri has a hotline and website set up for general questions. The hotline number is 800/NOW VOTE (800/669-8683). The website is govotemissouri.com.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.

http://www.kmov.com/news/local/US-Attor ... 15913.html

California Secretary of State.

Voter Fraud Hotline. Call 1-800-345-VOTE

Election officers ready to fight voter fraud

By: Emily Babay
Examiner Staff Writer
October 29, 2010 By Emily Babay Examiner Staff Writer

If election fraud is reported in the Washington region on Tuesday, federal prosecutors are ready to handle the complaints.

Each local U.S. Attorney's Office has designated a district election officer to oversee responses to allegations of voting abuses. They're charged with coordinating with state, local and other federal officials to prevent and respond to election fraud.

The area prosecutors designated as district election officers are Tonya Kelly Kowitz in Maryland, Matthew C. Solomon in D.C. and James P. Gillis in Alexandria.

During early voting and on Election Day, the main duties of a district officer are to be available to take complaints from the public and work with local officials monitoring the polls for allegations of fraud, Kowitz said.

The Justice Department tries to prevent fraud by making it clear that the department takes voting abuses seriously, officials said.

"We hope that that has a deterrent effect and encourages people to not engage in voter fraud," Kowitz said.

Many complaints that are brought to the district officers are not federal crimes, but the officers can direct callers to the appropriate state or local election monitor.

Officials are hoping for an Election Day with few fraud reports.

"I make myself available and I hope that nobody needs me," Kowitz said.

People who want to report instances of election fraud can call the following numbers:

» In D.C., Solomon at 202-353-2457 or the FBI's Washington office at 202-278-2000.

» In Maryland, Kowitz at 410-209-4800 or the FBI at 410-265-8080.

» In Northern Virginia, Gillis at 703-299-3700 or the FBI's Washington office.

» The Department of Justice's civil rights division will take complaints about discrimination or access to ballots at 800-253-3931 or 877-267-8971.

www.washingtonexaminer.com