By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Shawn Anderson, U.S. Attorney for Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, today announced the assignment of assistant U.S. attorneys to lead the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in connection with the Department of Justice's nationwide election day program for the upcoming Nov. 8 general elections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic P. David will serve as the district election officer for Guam and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric S. O’Malley, for the Northern Mariana Islands.
The assistant U.S. attorneys are responsible for overseeing their respective district’s handling of election complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington D.C.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and have that vote counted in a fair and free election," Anderson said.
"Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will dedicate its resources to protect the integrity of the election process," he added.
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The Office of the U.S. Attorney underscored the Department of Justice's important role in deterring and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud.
"The Department’s longstanding election day program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations," the Office of the U.S. Attorney said.
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Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence 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.
It 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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The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting period that ends on Nov. 8 and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, DEOs will be on duty while the polls are open, including periods of early voting.
In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, residents are advised to call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. Local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have a faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
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Contact information:
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic David: (671) 479-4120 or (671) 988-3260.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O’Malley: (670) 236-2986.
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.
· Honolulu Field Office 24/7 (808) 566-4300
· Guam Office (671) 472-7465
· Northern Mariana Islands Office (670) 322-6934
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
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