FBI ready to respond to Election Day crimes

The Justice Department and FBI say they will have officials ready on Election Day to respond to potential crimes.

Justice Department officials will be monitoring conduct at certain polling places, and lawyers will be available to handle complaints regarding voter intimidation, discrimination and fraud such as vote-buying.

The FBI will also have a command center to monitor potential security threats related to the election. U.S. intelligence officials have warned of Russian efforts to use hacking to interfere with the election process.

The Justice Department has already warned that it will have fewer observers at the polls than in 2012 because of a Supreme Court opinion that gutted a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.

The exact number of observers will not be revealed until closer to Election Day.

United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. announced Tuesday Assistant United States Attorney Tom Moore has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the Western District of Texas.

In that capacity, Moore 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.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” United States Durbin said.

The FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.

You can contact the El Paso FBI field office at (915) 832-5000.