United States Attorney Eric Melgren
District of Kansas
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
News releases are available at www.usdoj.gov/usao/ks/
Contact: Jim Cross
Phone: (316) 269-6481
Fax: (316) 269-6420
Nov. 1, 2006
FEDERAL PROSECUTOR WILL MONITOR ELECTION COMPLAINTS
A federal prosecutor will be on duty during Tuesday’s election to respond promptly to complaints of possible election fraud and voting rights violations in Kansas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton will be available to the public at 913-551-6730 while the polls are open on election day, Nov. 7.
“We want the public to have confidence in the integrity of the election process,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Melgren. “Our goal is protect against election fraud and voter discrimination.”
Melgren said he does not expect any problems during the voting, but warned that there are criminal penalties under federal law for any efforts to fraudulently influence the outcome of the election or to prevent another person from exercising the right to vote.
As district election officer for the District of Kansas, Patton will join officers in other districts as part of the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day program. He will be responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
On October 8, 2002, Attorney General Ashcroft established a department-wide Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative. The goals of this Initiative were to increase the department’s ability to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls and to prosecute those offenses whenever and wherever they occur.
On election day, the FBI will also have special agents available in each field office and resident agency in Kansas to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses. The FBI can be reached by the public at 816-512-8200.
Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination also can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.
Melgren urged the public to report any fraud or voting rights abuses they see.
“Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute the worth of votes honestly cast,” Melgren said. “They also corrupt the essence of our representative form of government. As crimes against both the individual and the government, they will be dealt with promptly and aggressively. Anyone who has information suggesting electoral corruption or voting rights abuses should make that information available immediately to my office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division.”