KAILUA-KONA — As the election draws near and one candidate casts doubt upon the integrity of the entire system, the federal government is announcing ongoing efforts to prevent fraud and abuse at the polls.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar will be the District Election Officer for Hawaii, which means he will oversee how the local department handles complaints about fraud and voting rights abuses.
He’ll be on duty while the polls are open on Nov. 8 to receive complaints. Every U.S. district attorney appoints an officer each election.
“The franchise is the cornerstone of American democracy. We all must ensure that those who are entitled to the franchise exercise it if they choose, and that those who seek to corrupt it are brought to justice,” the department wrote in a press release.
The department listed acts like vote stuffing, buying votes, intimidating voters and forms of fraud. They also became more specific.
“For example, actions of persons designed to interrupt or intimidate voters at polling places by questioning or challenging them, or by photographing or videotaping them, under the pretext that these are actions to uncover illegal voting may violate federal voting rights law,” the department wrote.
Donald Trump’s campaign has begun recruiting what they call election observers, as the candidate has made poorly supported claims that the election is rigged against the Republican presidential hopeful.
A study by a Loyola Law School professor found 31 cases of impersonation fraud out of 1 billion votes cast in the U.S. between 2000-14.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud. The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process,” United States Attorney Florence Nakakuni said in a press release.
Nammar will be on duty when the polls are open and can be reached at (808) 541-2850.
The FBI will have special agents available at the Honolulu field office as well, which can be reached at 566-4300.
Additionally, people can make complaints directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D.C., by calling (800) 253-3931 or (202) 307-2767, by fax at (202) 307-3961, by email to voting.section@usdoj.gov or by complaint form at the division’s website.