24 Oct DOJ Outlines Election Day Program to Support Voters, Ensure Safety

(Image courtesy of the Department of Justice via Bay City News)

By Katy St. Clair
Bay City News

The U.S. Department of Justice for the Northern and Eastern Districts in California will lead watchdog efforts around the upcoming Nov. 5 general election as part of its nationwide Election Day Program.

Each district will have a District Election Officer, or DEO, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Griswald leading the Northern District and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Khasigian leading the Eastern District. Both will be responsible for handling Election Day complaints of concerns about voting rights, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California said Wednesday.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey in a statement released by his office. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.”

Federal law protects against such crimes against election officials or staff, 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. The law also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice.

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For the Northern District of California, which stretches from Del Norte County in the north to Monterey County in the south and contains cities such as San Francisco, Oakland and San Jose, Griswold will be on duty while the polls are open, with the assistance of two other assistant U.S. Attorneys, Kimberly Hopkins and Katherine Lloyd-Lovett. The public can reach them at the following telephone numbers: Griswold, (408) 535-5060; Hopkins, (415) 436-6991, and Lloyd-Lovett, (510) 637-3932.

For the Eastern District, which encompasses Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield, Stockton, Vallejo, and Fairfield, Khasigian can be reached at (916) 554-2723.

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 such violations on election day. The local FBI field offices can be reached at (415) 553-7400 or (916) 746-7000.

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

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