Election Incident Form

Election Incident Form

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Type: 
News

Report any incidents you believe may involve intimidating behavior, your right to vote being undermined, or inappropriate interference with the voting process.

If you witness what you believe to be election-related crimes or unlawful conduct, or have any concerns or questions about their voting experience, you can take the following steps:

  • Fill out the Attorney General’s online complaint form, or
  • Email the Attorney General’s Office at voting [at] riag.ri.gov, or
  • Email the RI Department of State’s Elections Division at elections [at] sos.ri.gov, or
  • Email the Rhode Island Board of Elections at elections.email [at] elections.ri.gov, or
  • Contact your local Board of Canvassers or local police department.
While it is neither common nor anticipated, it is possible that federal law enforcement officers may have a presence at or near polling places. Federal law enforcement could include officials or agents from DOJ, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Both federal and state law protect the orderly conduct of elections andprohibit interference with voting at or near polling places, including by federal law enforcement officials. Federal statutes prohibit armed federal officer presence at election sites, 18 U.S.C. § 592, and voter intimidation, 18 U.S.C. § 594 and 52 U.S.C.§§ 10101(b), 10307(b). Likewise, Rhode Island law prohibits intimidation or disruptive conduct at polling places, R.I. Gen. Law § 17-23-5 and 17-23-17(a)(7), including interference with the right to vote by the presence of federal immigration law enforcement within polling places during voting, R.I. Gen. Laws § 17-19-55...
 

Board of Elections: 401-222-2345
Your role is to observe; do not interfere with the federal law enforcement officer.
Any of the belo w listed information will be helpful to local law enforcement, local canvassing authorities, and/or the Board of Elections. The polling place Moderator, or early voting official, should be prepared to describe any of the below information that the Moderator, early voting officials, or poll workers have been able to safely gather:
 Their current location and where the federal agents are located.
 How many federal agents they see.
 Any logos or other indications of the agency (e.g., FBI, ATF, ICE).
 What document the federal agents presented (e.g., warrant).
 What the federal agents are doing.
 When the federal agents arrived.
 Whether the federal agents are armed.
 Any special equipment or vehicles.
 The impact on voters. Obtain names and contact information of impacted voters if they
are willing to voluntarily provide such information.

League to which this content belongs: 
Rhode Island

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