WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II announced today that Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Stephen Warner will lead the efforts of his office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 8, 2016, general elections. AUSA Warner has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Northern District of West Virginia, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.
According to Ihlenfeld, the Department of Justice plays an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.
Federal law protects against such crimes as 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 acts that intimidate or harass them. Further, federal law protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.
Complaints about federal election law violations can be made by calling the FBI at (412) 432-4000. The FBI will have extra personnel available to receive election day complaints, and FBI Special Agents will be available in every field office in West Virginia. AUSA Warner will be available while the polls are open to work with the FBI regarding complaints that affect the Northern District of West Virginia.
