From Gongwer News Service, www.gongwer-oh.com, November 3, 2014.
Federal officials in Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton will oversee Tuesday's election as part of the U.S. Department of Justice's nationwide Election Day program, U.S. Attorney Carter Stewart announced Monday.
The U.S. DOJ's Civil Rights Division is charged with announcing jurisdictions in which the department will conduct monitoring in the field at polling locations.
U.S. Attorneys offices around the country designate assistant U.S. attorneys to serve as district election officers, who are responsible for overseeing potential election crime issues and coordinating with DOJ election-crime experts, federal officials said.
Mr. Stewart's office announced the appointments of Gary Spartis to Columbus Branch chief; Anthony Springer to Cincinnati Branch chief and Laura Clemmens to Dayton Branch chief.
The district election officers will be responsible for overseeing the district's handling of election fraud and voting rights abuses complaints in consultation with the DOJ, Mr. Stewart's office said.
"It's our duty to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or fraud in the election process," Mr. Stewart said in a release.
He added that "protecting the right to vote and combating election fraud are essential to maintaining the confidence of all Americans in our democratic system of government." Mr. Stewart encouraged individuals with information of supposed voter discrimination or fraud to contact the appropriate authorities.
In addition to the district officers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will have special agents available in each field office throughout the country to address fraud and abuse allegations, officials said."