FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1996                           (202) 616-2765
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888
                                 
              FEDERAL OBSERVERS TO MONITOR TUESDAY'S
        RUN-OFF ELECTION FOR TEXAS CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

     WASHINGTON, D.C. --  Twenty-four federal observers will
monitor Tuesday's Congressional run-off election in two Texas
counties, the Justice Department announced today.

     The observers will monitor the election in Galveston and
Jefferson Counties.  The candidates in the election, incumbent
Stephen Stockman and challenger Nicholas Lampson, are seeking to
represent the 9th Congressional District in Texas.

     Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Deval L. Patrick,
said that the Justice Department decided to dispatch observers
after obtaining facts demonstrating that minority voters had been
harassed by white poll watchers during elections in these counties. 

     Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of
racial and language minority group members to participate in the
electoral process, the Justice Department is authorized to send
federal observers to areas that are certified by the Attorney
General.  On Thursday, December 5, the Attorney General certified
Galveston and Jefferson counties.
 
     The observers, employees of the Office of Personnel
Management, will watch and record activities during voting hours at
several of the polling locations and during the counting of votes. 
Two attorneys from the Civil Rights Division will coordinate
activities in each county.

     Voters can report possible discriminatory voting practices to
a federal examiner at (281)467-9120 in Galveston County or
(281)467-9131 in Jefferson County.
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96-580