WASHINGTON — With less than a week before polls close on Nov. 5, the U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday reaffirmed its efforts to protect voter access to the ballot box through its Civil Rights, Homeland Security and Criminal Justice Divisions.
“Protecting the right to vote, prosecuting election crimes, and securing our elections are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government,” the Department of Justice said in a news release.
The Justice Department said any complaints about violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should first be reported to local authorities by calling 911 and then to the agency for further action.
IN Washington State and Oregon, two ballot boxes were set on fire. IN North Carolina, Yellow signs in Spanish appeared outside polling places warning people that it was illegal for foreigners to vote, a move that voting rights groups called voter intimidation.
There are increased concerns from election officials and pro-democracy groups about attempts to disrupt the electoral process and the possibility of violence once the results are known.
It is unlikely that the presidential winner will be announced on election night or even the next day, what election officials warned it’s effortless to sow distrust in official results.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, the fourth most populous county in the country, law enforcement officials at the local and federal levels stated that it was prepared for violence. Maricopa County led the way conspiracy theories about election fraud in 2020
Violations of civil rights
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division “is responsible for ensuring compliance with the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote and with the criminal provisions of federal statutes that prohibit discriminatory interference with that right,” the agency says.
Any civil rights violations should be reported to the agency at 800-253-3931 or on the Internet.
This division enforces the Voting Rights Act, the National Voter Registration Act, the Uniformed and Foreign Nationals Absentee Voting Act, the Help America Vote Act, and the Civil Rights Act.
These laws prohibit voter intimidation, as well as electoral practices that are either discriminatory or discriminatory on the basis of “race, color or linguistic minority status.”
The Justice Department said that throughout the election period, its lawyers “will be prepared to accept complaints alleging potential violations of any of the statutes enforced by the Civil Rights Division.”
Electoral crimes
The Department of Justice’s Criminal Division enforces federal laws regarding election crimes such as voter fraud, ballot destruction, vote buying, delivery of fraudulent ballots, vote altering, and misconduct by election officials and workers.
This also includes any threats of violence against election workers and voter intimidation for reasons other than discrimination.
The Department of Justice has stated that all election-related complaints should be directed to the Department of Justice local U.S. Attorney’s office or local FBI field office.
The Homeland Security Division of the Justice Department will handle all matters involving foreign influence.
The Justice Department disclosed the allegations in September the Russian government’s efforts to spread propaganda and attempt to influence voters, including the 2024 presidential election.
“As we have done in past elections, the National Security Division will work closely with our FBI counterparts and our U.S. Attorneys’ offices to protect our nation’s elections from any national security threats,” the Justice Department said.
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