Oct. 30 (UPI) — The contentious nature of today’s U.S. elections has the Department of Justice working around the clock to maintain election integrity and fairness.
The Justice Department on Wednesday detailed its efforts to ensure qualified voters have access to ballots, can cast their votes and have them counted without enduring intimidation, discrimination or criminal activity.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division ensures compliance with federal laws that protect people’s right to vote and can punish violators with fines and imprisonment.
The Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division enforces the federal laws that protect the right to vote as required by the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Civil Rights Act and other federal acts that ensure the integrity of federal, state and local elections.
The acts generally prohibit practices that discriminate against, intimidate or create barriers to voting due to a disability or an inability to read or write.
Provisional ballots are available to help those who are eligible and registered to vote but whose names don’t appear on local voter rolls or poll books.
Federal law also requires states to enable absentee ballot voting for military members serving away from home and their family members as well as U.S. citizens who live abroad.
States also must provide voters the opportunity to register to vote via mail or through offices that provide driver’s licenses, state ID cards, public assistance or disability services.
Who to contact with complaints
The Civil Rights Division enforces the Americans with Disabilities Act and its provision regarding voting registration and access for qualified voters who are disabled and might encounter barriers to access when it’s time to cast their ballots.
Civil Rights Division attorneys are available to receive and respond to complaints regarding potential violations of federal voter rights laws and other relevant laws that protect people’s right to vote and election integrity.
Anyone who has a complaint can contact the Justice Department by calling 800-253-3931 or submit complaints online at http://www.civilrights.justice.gov.
Potential ADA violations can be reported by calling 800-514-0301 or 833-610-1264 or by submitting a complaint online at http://www.ada.gov.
The DOJ announced its efforts to maintain election integrity after several ballot boxes in Washington State and Oregon were targeted by one or more people using incendiary devices that destroy the ballots contained inside them.
The FBI on Tuesday announced investigations into two ballot box fires in Vancouver, Wash., and Portland, Ore.
The U.S. Attorney’s office and the FBI “are working closely and expeditiously together to investigate the two incendiary fires at the ballot boxes … to hold whoever is responsible fully accountable,” the FBI said in a prepared statement.
Anyone with information regarding the ballot box fires can contact the nearest FBI office, submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov or by calling 800-225-5324.
Unnamed law enforcement said the two ballot box fires likely are related to an earlier ballot box fire after one or more people used incendiary devices that contained “Free Gaza” and “Free Palestine” inscriptions, ABC News, The New York Times, and WFAA reported.
Investigators said they don’t know if the incendiary devices were placed by a supporter of Gaza or someone sowing political discord.
