Federal prosecutor announces voter fraud hot line at Cape Girardeau news conference

Federal prosecutors are watching for voter fraud or intimidation as the Nov. 4 election approaches and they are asking the public to help.

Federal prosecutor Catherine Hanaway announced a voter fraud and voter intimidation hot line Wednesday during a news conference in Cape Girardeau. The purpose, she said, is to make sure the upcoming election is fair and that every eligible voter is able to cast his or her ballot with confidence.

"The core of our purpose is to make it as easy as possible to vote and as tough as possible to cheat," Hanaway said.

There have been no cases of voter fraud -- vote buying, impersonation of a registered voter or multiple voting -- documented in Missouri in recent years. There have been cases where people have been charged with submitting fraudulent voter registrations, but no indication that any ineligible or fictitious voter was actually put on voter rolls or cast a ballot, she said.

The hot line is not set up to answer questions about whether an individual is registered or where polling places are located, Hanaway said. Those questions should be directed to local election authorities or a special website set up by the Missouri Secretary of State's office at govotemissouri.com.

Hanaway's office, which covers the eastern half of Missouri, set up the hot line as part of a national Department of Justice effort, she said.

The hot line for reporting voter fraud or intimidation in Southeast Missouri is 573-331-0503. Complaints about ballot access or discrimination can be made directly to the department's Civil Rights Division at 800-253-3931.

For more information, check back at semissourian.com or read Thursday's Southeast Missourian.