G. Zachary Terwilliger, Election Day Program, Virginia 2018

NORFOLK, Va. – U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger announced today that Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy C. Stoker will lead the efforts here in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming midterm elections on November 6.

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

The Justice Department has an important role in deterring election fraud and discrimination at the polls, and combating these violations whenever and wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals, and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on election day.

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.

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 6, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, Terwilliger stated that Stoker will be on duty in this District while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: (757) 441-6331.

"Ensuring free and fair elections depends in large part on the cooperation of the American electorate," said Terwilliger. "It is imperative that those who have specific information about discrimination or election fraud make that information available immediately to my Office, the FBI, or the Civil Rights Division."

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 , or by complaint form at .

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