Baltimore, Maryland – United States Attorney Erek L. Barron announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSAs) Leo J. Wise and Geonard Butler will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2022, general election. AUSAs Wise and Butler have been appointed to serve as the District Election Officers (DEOs) for the District of Maryland, and in that capacity they are responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
United States Attorney Barron said, “The Department of Justice works tirelessly to ensure that every citizen is able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Nor will we tolerate unlawful threats of violence to election officials and staff, who are integral to our country’s election process. The right to vote is the cornerstone of American democracy. We will bring to justice those who seek to corrupt that right.”
The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.
Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, 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 interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice (where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English).
United States Attorney Barron stated that: “In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, AUSAs Wise and Butler will be on duty in Maryland while the polls are open. AUSA Wise can be reached by the public at 410-209-4800 and AUSA Butler can be reached at 301-344-4433. Any allegation of election fraud or voting rights violations will be reviewed in consultation with state and federal authorities where appropriate, and we will pursue any case that warrants prosecution.”
In addition, the 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. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 410-265-8080.
Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .
United States Attorney Barron said, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice.”
Please note, however, in the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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