Voting day is almost here but millions of votes have already been cast. We can only hope the early voting ballots and the absentee ballots are part of the scrutiny the FBI will be assigned to validate.

In recent days, I have received emails from the FBI regarding assignments to watch for irregularities or abuses. As a sample of the FBI agent deployment, below is one example for the state of New Jersey. Here is another for the Washington, DC area. Boston, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Anchorage, New Orleans, Louisville, Omaha, Jackson, Tampa, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh are some of the other cities that have asked for and received FBI voter integrity assistance.

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Election Crimes

In democratic societies like the United States, the voting process is a means by which citizens hold their government accountable; conflicts are channeled into resolutions and power transfers peacefully. Our system of representative government works only when honest ballots are not diluted by fraudulent ballots. The FBI, through its Public Corruption Unit, has an important but limited role in ensuring fair and free elections. Election crimes become federal cases when:

• The ballot includes one or more federal candidates;
• The crime involves an election official abusing his duties;
• The crime pertains to fraudulent voter registration;
• Voters are not U.S. citizens.