U.S. Attorney’s Office announces Election Officer for California’s Central District

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California announced Monday that Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Rybarczyk and Anna Boylan have been tapped to lead the Department of Justice's nationwide Election Day Program in the local region.

Rybarczyk and Boylen will be on duty while polls are open and receiving votes during the Nov. 5 election to respond to complaints of voting rights abuses and election fraud explained the Department of Justice in a press release Monday.

If there is an incident involving violence or intimidation, you are asked to contact 911 immediately before contacting federal officials as state and local law enforcement have primary jurisdiction over polling places and usually have faster response times during an emergency explained the Department of Justice.

"The right to vote is fundamental to our democracy," said United States Attorney for the Central District of California Martin Estrada. "My office will be vigilant in upholding the ability of each citizen to vote freely and fairly – without interference or discrimination.  Likewise, election officials and staff must be able to work in safety.  We will continue our tireless efforts to safeguard our nation’s elections."

Additionally, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will have special agents available at each field office across the country shared the Department of Justice.

The FBI field office for the Central District of California can be reached at 310-477-6565.

Complaints about potential violations of federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. at 800-253-3931 or using the complaint form here.

Federal law protects against crimes including threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying or selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their will or without their input explained the Department of Justice.

"The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud," explained a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California which includes the counties of Los Angles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo. "The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations."