How to Report Election Fraud, Voter Rights Abuses in Maryland

BALTIMORE, MD — With Maryland voters going to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in what has become a bitterly divided presidential race, federal officials have appointed a prosecutor to oversee any suspected cases of voter fraud.

U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein has appointed Assistant United States Attorney Leo J. Wise as the District Election Officer for Maryland. Wise is responsible for overseeing the federal response to any complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses Tuesday in consultation with state authorities, the FBI, and Justice Department headquarters.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” Rosenstein said in a news release. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

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.

For example, people who 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 illegal voting, may violate federal voting rights law. Federal law also protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice.

Wise will be on duty in Maryland while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at 410-209-4800.

The FBI will have special agents available in offices across the country to handle allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on Tuesday. The local FBI field office can be reached at 410-265-8080.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, DC by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by filling out an online complaint form.

If you're turned away at the polls:

Throughout Election Day, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division staff members will be available by telephone to receive complaints related to possible violations of the federal voting rights laws (Toll free at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767 or TTY 202-305-0082).

In addition, individuals may also report such complaints by fax to 202-307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov and by a complaint form on the department’s website: www.justice.gov/crt/votercomplaint."

If there's violence or a disruption at the polling place:

Complaints tied to disruption at a polling place should be reported immediately to local election officials (including officials in the polling place), federal authorities say.

Complaints related to violence, threats of violence or intimidation at a polling place should be reported immediately to local police authorities by calling 911. They should also be reported to the department after local authorities have been contacted.