Federal prosecutors and the FBI are going to monitor the elections in Missouri next Tuesday.  U. S. Attorneys in Kansas City and in St. Louis have appointed staff to field complaints  of fraud and voting rights abuses.  The FBI will have agents available in all of its field offices to investigate allegations of wrongdoing.

Eastern Missouri federal prosecutor Rich Callahan says prosecutions are rare. A person prosecuted two years ago was a college student who voted in Illinois and then in Missouri in 2008.  He was caught by local election authorities during their post-election canvass of the vote.

Western Missouri federal attorney David Ketchmark says every citizen has a right to vote without interference or discrimination and to have their votes count. 

Callahan says most of the calls the attorneys field are complaints that can be solved by referring them to local election authorities.

Complaints about election fraud and voting rights abuses from western Missouri can be made to 816-426-3122.  Ketchmark says Senior Litigation Counsel Linda Parker Marshall will direct complaints to appropriate authorities. Her counterpart in St. Louis, Assistant U. S. Attorney John Bodenhausen will be at 314-539-7733.  The FBI field office in Kansas City will handle western Missouri complaints at 816-512-8100.  The field office in St. Louis is at 314-589-2500. 

Complaints about ballot access problems or discrimination can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington, D. C. at 800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767.

The Secretary of State’s office also has a hotline for general questions: 800-669-8683.  

AUDIO: Callahan 4;00