U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Announces Telephone Hotline To Report Voting Rights Complaints on Election Day

CHICAGO - Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, today announced that the U.S. Attorney's Office will operate a telephone hotline on Election Day (Nov. 5, 2024) to receive complaints related to the voting process.

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. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department's longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing a local point of contact for the public to report possible federal election law violations.

"Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination, and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election," said Acting U.S. Attorney Pasqual. "Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process."

Assistant U.S. Attorneys and other staff will monitor the hotline. The hotline numbers, staffed on Election Day only, are (312) 469-6157 and (312) 469-6158. The Office's Election Day Program will be supervised by Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan DeMarco.

In addition, the FBI Chicago Field Office will have Special Agents and staff available on Election Day to receive allegations of election fraud or other election-related complaints. The phone number for the FBI Chicago Field Office is (312) 421-6700.

Complaints can also be made to the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at (800) 253-3931 or online at https://civilrights.justice.gov/.

Federal laws protect the rights of voters to mark their own ballot or be assisted by a person of their choice. Federal laws protect against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes. Violations of federal election laws could result in prison time and monetary fines.

In the case of a crime of violence or intimidation, voters are advised to call 911 before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over such incidents at polling sites and will almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.

For information about the location and hours of polling sites, Illinois residents are advised to contact the Illinois State Board of Elections by logging on to www.elections.il.gov or by calling (312) 814-6440.