See Voter Intimidation? Call the Feds at 800-CALL-FBI 

Do you see armed men in camouflage with Trump flags at your polling place? Call the FBI at 800-225-5324 or file an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov.

The Justice Department issued voter protection guides and a video on www.justice.gov/voting that provides information on the Department’s Election Threats Task Force, which leads the Department’s efforts to address violence against election workers and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. 

With elections only six months away, Trump and the Republican National Committee threaten to deploy 100,000 volunteer “vote-counting monitors” for the November 5 presidential election.

Stopping voter intimidation

Armed and masked men in tactical gear stood guard at ballot drop boxes in Mesa, Ariz., as people began early voting for the 2022 midterm elections.

They belonged to an “election monitoring group” called Clean Elections USA, which is watching early voting in select counties for signs of “fraud.” But the gun-toting terrorists’ presence caused unease among Maricopa County voters, who saw these “dropbox watchers” as a blatant attempt at voter intimidation.

The US Civil Rights Division published two new informational guides on voting rights. It updated five other guides to ensure that all qualified voters have the opportunity to cast their ballots and have their votes counted free of discrimination, intimidation, or criminal activity in the election process and to ensure that our elections are secure and free from foreign malign influence and interference.

“The right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, the right from which all others flow,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “The Justice Department is using every available authority to defend that right, both from efforts to undermine voting rights and from efforts to threaten and intimidate those who administer our elections.”

“Protecting the right to vote is one of the Justice Department’s highest priorities,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Today, the Department is issuing a guide on the laws governing voting-related language assistance to a video explaining the protections against voter intimidation.”

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said, “The new guides and updates we issue today, alongside our litigation, friend-of-the-court-briefs, and monitoring efforts, demonstrate our commitment to using every tool available to protect the right to vote. These materials encourage voters to report violations. These resources also help state and local authorities comply with their obligations under the law.” 

The new guides issued today include one on Voter Intimidation Under Federal Law, discussing the prohibition of threats, obstruction, or deliberately false information about the time, manner, or place of voting to prevent people from casting their ballots. The Department has prepared a short video explaining how to report such misconduct.

The second new guide addresses Voting Protections for Language Minority Citizens under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act. Section 203 mandates language assistance to enable certain people with limited English proficiency to participate effectively in all phases of the electoral process. 

The Department updated five existing guides on the Justice Department website. The Department updated its guide on

• The Americans with Disabilities Act and Other Federal Laws Protecting the Rights of Voters with Disabilities.
• Guidance Under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act for redistricting and methods of electing government bodies.
• Federal Law Constraints on Post-Election “Audits.” 
• Guidance Concerning Federal Statutes Affecting Methods of Voting.
• How to request Federal Election Monitors in a jurisdiction.

You can report suspected criminal activity regarding voting to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or by filing an online complaint at tips.fbi.gov. You can also contact local law enforcement. You can report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or 1-800-253-3931.