US Attorney appoints District Election Officer

Historic City News received word this morning that Assistant United States Attorney Robert Mosakowski has been appointed to serve as the “District Election Officer” for the November General Election in the Middle District of Florida — which includes St Augustine and St Johns County.

Mosakowski is responsible for overseeing the district’s handling of complaints of election fraud and voter rights abuses as part of the Election Day Program in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington, DC.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” United States Attorney Robert E O’Neill told Historic City News reporters. “The Department of Justice will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”

Federal law protects against such crimes as intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters and provides that they can vote free from acts that intimidate or harass them.

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 within the Department for the public to report possible election fraud and voting rights violations while the polls are open on Election Day, November 6, 2012.

O’Neill said, “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.”

On Election Day, Mosakowski will be on duty in the district while the polls are open. He can be reached by the public at (813) 376-1120.

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. Local FBI field offices can be reached by the public at (904) 248-7000.

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division Voting Section in Washington at (202) 307-2767.