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As the United States gears up for the general election on November 5, the Middle District of Tennessee's U.S. Attorney's Office is laying out its plan to ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Acting United States Attorney Thomas J. Jaworski has announced that Criminal Chief Ben Schrader will lead the efforts as the District Election Officer (DEO). Schrader is charged with handling election day complaints that might include voting rights concerns, threats of violence against election personnel, and potential fraud.
According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office, “Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.” Schrader's appointment aims to safeguard these tenets and, in turn, uphold public confidence in the electoral process.
The Justice Department has a specific role to play when it comes to deterring electoral wrongdoing. Its Election Day Program provides a framework for addressing violations, such as voter intimidation, vote selling, ballot fraud, or any acts that might discourage or prevent people from casting their votes freely. The protection extends to the right of voters to mark their ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choosing, as per the Voting Rights Act.
Furthermore, Acting U.S. Attorney Jaworski highlighted the importance of citizen involvement stating, “The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise can exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Criminal Chief/DEO Schrader will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (615) 736-5151.” He stressed the importance of directing complaints to appropriate authorities, specifying that DEO Schrader will be on duty while polls are open, reachable at (615) 736-5151, as per the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Moreover, the FBI will contribute to election integrity efforts by stationing special agents to handle allegations of election fraud and other abuses throughout the country. The Nashville Division of the FBI, covering Tennessee, is extending a hotline to the public at (865) 544-0751. Complaints about federal voting rights law violations can directly reach the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC through their complaint form or over the phone at 800-253-3931.
In a final remark, Jaworski urged the public to remain vigilant and informed, emphasizing, “Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the assistance of the American electorate. It is important that those who have specific information about voting rights concerns or election fraud make that information available to the Department of Justice,” according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
