Contact: James L. McCarthy
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Tel: (207) 262-4646

John G. Osborn
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Tel: (207) 771-3277

United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today that his office, in
cooperation with Maine State officials, will participate in the Justice Department’s nationwide
Election Day Program for the upcoming November 6, 2012 general elections. The program is
designed to handle complaints in the District of Maine of election fraud and voting rights abuses
in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington and the State of Maine
Attorney General’s Office.

Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs) James L. McCarthy and John G. Osborn will
lead the efforts of the Maine U.S. Attorney’s Office. AUSAs McCarthy and Osborn have been
appointed to serve as District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Maine. Maine
Assistant Attorney General Phyllis Gardiner and Deputy Secretary of State Julie Flynn will
coordinate election oversight for the State of Maine. Attorney Zachary Heiden of the Maine
Civil Liberties Union will also be available to assist anyone who experiences difficulty in
exercising their right to vote.

In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (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.

Arrangements have been made for attorneys to have immediate access to both federal and
state court judges during the times that the polls are open to assist in the enforcement of voting
rights if necessary.

United States Attorney Delahanty said, “Every citizen must be able to vote without
interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of
fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of
the election process.”

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 voting franchise is the cornerstone of 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 on November
6, 2012, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, United
States Attorney Delahanty stated that DEOs McCarthy and Osborn will be on duty in his office
while the polls are open. They can be reached by the public at the following telephone numbers:
(207) 262-4646 (AUSA McCarthy) and (207) 771-3277 (AUSA Osborn).

The principal Maine FBI field office can be reached by the public at (207) 774-9322.

Assistant Attorney General Gardiner may be contacted at the Attorney General’s Office
by calling: (207) 626-8830. Deputy Secretary of State Flynn can be reached at (207) 624-7659
or (207) 624-7736. Attorney Heiden of the MCLU will be available at (207) 774-5444.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can also be made directly to
the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767.

United States Attorney Delahanty 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.”

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