U.S. Attorney
Thomas Kirsch II has appointed an Election Officer for the Northern District
of Indiana.
Supervisory
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacky Jacobs will be responsible for overseeing the
Northern District’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voting
rights concerns in consultation with the U.S. Department of Justice in
Washington, D.C.
“Every citizen must
be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote
counted without its being stolen because of fraud,” Kirsch said in a
statement released on Tuesday. “The Department of Justice will always act
appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process.”
"The Department of
Justice has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination
at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they
occur,” the statement said. “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 through 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,” the statement said. “It also contains special protections for the
rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from acts that
intimidate or harass them. For example, actions of persons designed to
interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or
challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext
that these are actions to uncover illegally voting may violate federal
voting rights law. Further, federal law 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 illiteracy).”
In order to respond
to complaints of election fraud or voting rights concerns during the voting
period ending on Nov. 3, Jacky Jacobs will be on duty in the Northern
District while the polls are open. She can be reached by the public at the
following telephone numbers: main line (219) 937-5500; or direct (219)
937-5634.
In addition, the
FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident
agency throughout the country to receive allegations of voter fraud and
other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be
reached by the public at (317) 595-4000.