Feds appoint special election monitor for Northern California. Here’s what he’ll do

With Election Day less than two weeks away, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California Phillip Talbert has appointed a district election officer to monitor the Nov. 8 midterm for cases of election fraud and voting rights abuses.

Kevin Khasigian will serve in the position, which is responsible for overseeing election complaints in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.

Talbert also announced that Assistant U.S. Attorney Angela Scott will serve as national security cyber specialist, “tasked with preparing for and responding to digital election threats.”

“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted. The Department of Justice will always act appropriately to protect the integrity of the election process,” Talbert said in a statement.

The Eastern District of California is comprised of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Inyo, Kern, Kings, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yolo and Yuba counties.

Federal law makes it a crime to intimidate or bribe voters, to buy or sell votes, to impersonate a voter, alter vote tallies, stuff ballot boxes or mark ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input.

Despite a lack of evidence showing widespread voter fraud, groups have sprung up across the country with the intention of challenging the 2022 election results and harassing and intimidating voters.

In Shasta County, a group of people calling themselves a “voter task force” have been reported going to people’s houses and questioning them about their voter registration, something that Shasta County Clerk and Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen said is a form of voter intimidation.

Khasigian is on duty in the district while polls are open, and he may be reached by the public at 916-554-2700 or 916-554-2723. In addition, the FBI will have special agents who can be reached by calling 916-746-7000 or by visiting tips.fbi.gov.