FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CR

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1994 (202) 616-2765

TDD (202) 514-1888

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT TO DISPATCH FEDERAL OFFICIALS

ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO MONITOR TOMORROW'S ELECTIONS

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an effort to protect the integrity of

the voting process and to prevent the intimidation of minority
voters across the country, the Justice Department will dispatch
over 200 federal officials to 11 states for tomorrow's elections.
Some 216 federal observers will monitor polling sites in six
states -- Arizona, Georgia, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
and Utah -- to detect possible voting rights violations. Another
seven federal officials will be stationed in five other states --
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas -- to
receive voting rights complaints.
Under the Voting Rights Act, which protects the rights of
Americans to participate in the electoral process, the Justice
Department is authorized to send federal observers to areas that
are specially covered in the Act.
In New York, 29 federal observers will obtain information from
polling sites in New York and Kings Counties to determine whether
Chinese-language voters are receiving effective language
assistance. In August, the Justice Department approved procedures
under which New York would translate the ballots, provide
translators at the polls, and recruit and train Chinese-language
poll workers.
In Georgia, five federal observers will watch activities in
Taliaferro County, where voters will chose between an African
American and a white candidate in a special election for the Board
of Commissioners. Previous elections were marred by events that
impeded full black participation in the electoral process such as
denying black voters their right to be assisted by persons of their
choice.
In North Carolina, interracial contests for three positions on
the Edgecombe County commission and for the clerkship of the
Superior Court will be monitored by 45 observers. In previous
elections some voters alleged that they were provided with the
wrong ballot.
In New Mexico, 56 federal observers will monitor polling
locations in Cibola, McKinley, Sandoval and Socorro Counties. All
four counties operate under settlements stemming from Justice
Department suits. The settlements require the counties to provide
effective language assistance to Native Americans at the polls.
In Arizona, 63 federal observers will assess the efforts of
Apache and Navajo Counties to implement a similar agreement
requiring effective language assistance for Native Americans, such
as translating voting information.
In Utah, 18 federal observers will monitor the efforts of San
Juan County to comply with a similar settlement stemming from a
Justice Department suit. The settlement requires the county to
interpret voting information for Native Americans at the polls.
The 216 observers, most of whom are employees of the Office of
Personnel Management, will watch and record activities during
voting hours at the polling locations and in some cases during the
counting of votes. An additional 22 Justice Department officials
will coordinate federal activities in the various counties.
In addition to the steps being taken with respect to minority
voters under the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department also
will take steps to protect against possible voting irregularities
at the polls.
In a statement issued last week, Attorney General Janet Reno
said that every United States Attorneys Office throughout the
nation and the FBI will establish units to receive reports of
corrupt voting practices and investigate any voting rights
complaints.
To report any possible election crimes, voters should contact
the United States Attorneys office in their area.
To lodge complaints about discriminatory voting practices,
voters may call examiners situated in the following locations:
ALABAMA

Selma, Alabama Montgomery, Alabama

(205) 974-4299 (205) 832-1984

ARIZONA

Window Rock, Arizona

(602) 871-4134, 4135

GEORGIA

Atlanta, Georgia Crawfordville, Georgia

(404) 331-3468 (706) 456-2558, 2568

LOUISIANA

New Orleans, Louisiana

(504) 589-2768

MISSISSIPPI

Greenwood, Mississippi Jackson, Mississippi

(601) 453-5020 (601) 353-4959

NEW MEXICO

Grants, New Mexico

(505) 285-6952, 6948

NEW YORK

New York, New York New York, New York

(212) 264-4890 (212) 264-9906
(Chinese Language) (Spanish Language)

NORTH CAROLINA

Tarboro, North Carolina

(919) 641-2779, 4554
SOUTH CAROLINA

Columbia, South Carolina

(803) 253-3400

TEXAS

Dallas, Texas
(214) 767-0561

UTAH

Bluff, Utah
(801) 672-2321, 2278

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