BOISE - United States Attorney Tom Moss announced Thursday that attorneys will be on duty on Tuesday to take phone complaints of election fraud or voting rights violations throughout the state.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Haycock will field calls from Eastern Idaho, handling complaints of election fraud, intimidation, suppression and other election abuses. The FBI will also participate in the program.

The Ballot Access and Voting Integrity Initiative was started within the U.S. Department of Justice in Oct. 2002 The program's purpose is to make voting easier and cheating harder by increasing the department's ability both to deter election fraud and discrimination at the polls and to prosecute those offenses wherever they occur.

The Justice Department's long-standing Election Day Program strives to ensure public confidence in the integrity of the election process by providing local points of contact for reporting possible election fraud or voting rights violations while the polls are still open.

"Election fraud and voting rights abuses dilute the value of voting and corrupt the essence of our representative form of government," Moss said in a press release. "They are crimes against both the individuals affected and the people of the United States and will be dealt with promptly and aggressively."

Moss said the detection of election fraud depends in large part on the watchfulness and cooperation of the public.

"It is important that anyone approached to participate in questionable election practices, or anyone who observes such practices, contact my office or the FBI immediately. The public's help is critical to protect of sanctity of the ballot box."

By Journal Staff