MEMPHIS, TN – Shelby County District Attorney Bill Gibbons announced Thursday that the Voter Trust Task Force will be available for the federal and county primary elections in Shelby County on February 5 to investigate any incidents during the voting process identified by the Election Commission as potential criminal violations.
District Attorney Gibbons and TBI Director Mark Gwyn created the task force in 2006 following an investigation into alleged voter fraud in past elections in Shelby County and the criminal indictments resulting from the investigation.
Prosecutors from the District Attorney’s White Collar Crime Unit will be on call to the Election Commission. The TBI will have agents on standby to travel to any voting location in the city at the request of the District Attorney.
“We want to maintain the integrity of the voting process, and the Voter Trust Task Force allows us to instantly react to any potential problems that may arise on election day. There have been incidents in past elections that prosecutors and agents were able to immediately address,” said District Attorney Gibbons.
Voters who observe any potential problems at the polls on February 5 should contact the Election Commission (545-4125) which will in turn contact the D.A.’s Office if any criminal conduct appears to have occurred. If the situation warrants, the Task Force will investigate and notify the Commission of the results.
###
|