Acting US attorney appoints MA county election official – Sentinel and Enterprise

BOSTON — Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy announced the appointment of a county election official on Thursday, naming the person who will oversee efforts to address election day criminal complaints, fraud and threats of violence against officials under a national Justice Department program.

Assistant United States Attorney Lucy Sun was appointed to serve as the district election officer (DEO) for the District of Massachusetts, responsible for handling election day criminal complaints, threats of violence against election officials or staff, and election fraud. Consultation was held with the Department of Justice Headquarters in Washington.

“Every citizen should be able to vote without fear, intimidation or interference and have those votes counted in a fair and free election. Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to function without being subjected to unlawful threats of violence. “The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process,” Acting U.S. Attorney Levy said.

The Ministry of Justice has an important role in preventing and combating discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence against election officials and ballot box officials, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s long-standing Election Day Program furthers these goals and also aims to ensure the public’s confidence in the election process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report potential violations of federal election law.

Federal law protects against crimes such as threatening violence against election officials or personnel, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, tampering with vote counts, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots against voters’ wishes or without their input.

It also includes specific protections for voters’ rights, ensuring that voters can vote without interference, including intimidation and other actions designed to prevent or deter people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act also protects the rights of voters to mark their own ballots or to receive assistance from a person of their choice (where voters need assistance due to disability or inability to read or write English).

The public may direct concerns or complaints regarding election fraud, threats, intimidation, and voting rights concerns during the upcoming election to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Boston at 833-634-8669.

In addition, the FBI will have special agents at every field office and resident agency across the country to receive allegations of voter fraud and other election abuses on Election Day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 857-386-2000.

Complaints regarding possible violations of federal voting rights laws may also be filed directly with the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC, through the complaint form or by telephone at 800-253-3931.

In the event of a violent or intimidating crime, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places and almost always have the capacity to respond more quickly in emergencies.

-Office of Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy