10-27-04 -- Election Day Hotline -- News Release

Election Day Hotline Established At U.S. Attorney's Office for Complaints of Voting Irregularities or Other Abuses

TRENTON - U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Christie announced today that his office has established an Election Day Hotline to receive and respond to reports of election irregularities, voter intimidation or any other activities that would interfere with a citizen's right to vote throughout Election Day.

An Assistant United States Attorney has been named to serve as the District Election Officer, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Department of Justice in Washington.

"We are prepared to respond to credible reports of voter intimidation or other such abuses," Christie said. "Voting in New Jersey on November 2d will be free, fair and open."

To timely address complaints, the U.S. Attorney's Election Hotline - (973) 645-2924 - can assist both English- and Spanish-speaking callers. Federal law enforcement will work with county boards of election and the state Attorney General's Office. Individuals are encouraged to report election fraud and voting rights abuses by calling the U.S. Attorney's Office hotline.

In October 2002, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft established a Department of Justice-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative are to increase the Department's ability to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls and to prosecute these offenses whenever and wherever they occur, and to make voting easier and cheating harder.

The Program also is intended to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department of Justice where the public can report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day.

To respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 2, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Assistant U.S. Attorneys will be on duty in the District of New Jersey while polls remain open, Christie said.

The U.S. Attorney's Office and federal investigative agencies, led by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, will work cooperatively with the state Attorney General's Office, under the direction of Attorney General Peter Harvey, to enforce voter's rights at the polls.

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