As the Nov. 5 general election approaches, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Mississippi has appointed two monitors to investigate voter rights concerns, complaints of election fraud and threats of violence against election officials and employees.
United States Attorney Todd Gee announced in a press release on October 21 that Assistant United States Attorneys Bert Carraway and Samuel Goff had been appointed as district election officials for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Carraway and Goff will oversee the handling of Election Day complaints for the district, in coordination with the Justice Department headquarters in Washington, Gee said.
“Every citizen should be able to vote without interference or discrimination and ensure that that vote is counted in fair and free elections,” Gee wrote in the press release. “Similarly, election officials and staff should be able to serve without being subjected to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has provided contact information for several federal agencies working to handle election-related complaints.
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How to report possible voter intimidation and other election issues
Carraway and Goff will be on duty in the southern district while polls are open. The public can reach them at (601) 973-2826 or (601) 973-2855.
The FBI will also have special agents available in each field office and across the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. You can contact the local FBI field office at (601) 948-5000.
Complaints alleging violations of federal voting rights laws may be filed directly with the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, via the complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ or by telephone at (800) 253-3931.
For violent crimes and harassment, citizens are urged to call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and have faster response capabilities in the event of an emergency.
“Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the help of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights or election fraud concerns make that information available to the Department of Justice,” Gee wrote in the press release.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How to Report Voter Intimidation and Election Fraud Complaints in Mississippi
