CONCORD, N.H. –United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice announces the establishment of an Election Day hotline in coordination with the U.S. Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program for the general election on November 8, 2016. The hotline number is (603) 230-2503.
United States Attorney Rice said: “The freedom to vote without interference, discrimination, or hindrance is a fundamental civil right enjoyed by United States citizens. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process and to ensure that every vote is counted and that no vote is stolen by fraud.”
United States Attorney Rice has appointed Assistant United States Attorney Mark S. Zuckerman to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of New Hampshire. In that capacity, AUSA Zuckerman 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. He is also responsible for monitoring the Election Day hotline, which may be reached by calling (603) 230-2503.
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 on Election Day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate 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. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
The franchise is the cornerstone of our American democracy. 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. In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses regarding the November 8, 2016 general election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSA Zuckerman will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following dedicated Election Day hotline: (603) 230-2503.
In addition, 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 (603) 472-2224.
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
Email links icon, or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php.
United States Attorney Rice said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate. It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”
A Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet that explains what triggers federal criminal jurisdiction in connection with elections and voting rights is posted on the United States Attorney’s website: www.usdoj.gov/usao/nh.