FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
MONDAY, JUNE 2, 1997                               (202) 616-2777
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888


                                 
         JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO DISPATCH FEDERAL OFFICIALS
          TO MONITOR TUESDAY'S ELECTIONS IN THREE STATES


     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an effort to protect the integrity of
the voting process and to prevent the intimidation of minority
voters, the Justice Department will dispatch 35 federal observers
to Mississippi, Alabama, and California for tomorrow's primary
and special elections.

     Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of
Americans to participate in the electoral process, the Justice
Department can send federal observers to areas that are specially
covered in the Act.  

     "Our democracy rests on the right to vote," said Acting
Assistant Attorney General Isabelle Katz Pinzler. "The observers
will help ensure that every American has a fair opportunity to
cast their ballot."

     In tomorrow's special election in Alameda County,
California, 7 federal observers will obtain information from
polling locations to determine whether the county is complying
with the language minority provisions of the Voting Rights Act
for Chinese voters.  Under those provisions, certain
jurisdictions must provide materials in Chinese to Chinese
speaking voters.

     In Mississippi, 23 federal observers will monitor polling
locations for general elections in the cities of Isola, Leland,
Ruleville, and Shuqualak and five observers will monitor polling
places for a special election in the city of Greensboro, Alabama. 

   The monitors will ensure that African American voters are not
disadvantaged by the failure of polling officials to provide
appropriate assistance and information to voters.

     The 35 observers, who are federal employees chosen and
supervised by the Office of Personnel Management, will watch and
record activities during voting hours at the polling locations
and in some cases, during the counting of votes.  Seven Justice
Department attorneys will coordinate federal activities in the
various counties.

     To lodge complaints about discriminatory voting practices,
voters can call federal examiners situated in the following
locations:

CALIFORNIA

ALAMEDA COUNTY      (510) 637-3737



ALABAMA

GREENSBORO          (334) 624-0860      



MISSISSIPPI


RULEVILLE      (601) 887-7247

ISOLA          (601) 247-4468

LELAND         (601) 332-0905

SHUQUALAK      (601) 726-9303



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