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ST. LOUIS -- United States Attorney Richard Callahan announced Wednesday that Assistant United States Attorney John Bodenhausen will serve as the District Election Officer in connection  with the Justice Department’s  nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 2, 2010 general elections.  AUSA Bodenhausen will oversee the  handling of all complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in Eastern Missouri, and coordinate with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington.  

United States Attorney Callahan said, “Citizens must be able to vote without interference or discrimination,  and  have their votes counted without  being cancelled by the votes of individuals not  entitled to vote.  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 for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations on election day.” 

In order to respond to complaints of election fraud or voting rights abuses on November 2, 2010, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities,  Bodenhausen will be on duty and available the entire time the polls are open.  He can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 314/539-7733.  

In addition, the FBI will have Special Agents available in each Field Office and Resident Agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day.  The FBI can be reached by the public at 314/589-2500.

Further, the State of Missouri has a hotline and website set up for general questions.  The hotline number is 800/NOW VOTE (800/669-8683).  The website is govotemissouri.com.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.    

United States Attorney Callahan said, “The effectiveness of our Election Day Program depends in large part on the watchfulness and cooperation of the American electorate.   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.”