AG Formella: ‘No Significant Disruption to the Administration of the Election’

Attorney General John M. Formella says Tuesday’s successful election was the result of extraordinary efforts of thousands of local election officials. The primary role of the Attorney General’s Office is to support and assist these election officials.

A team of more than 50 attorneys, investigators, staff from the Attorney General’s Office, the Secretary of State’s Office and other state agencies deployed to polling locations across the state. This team of inspectors was scheduled to visit every polling location in the State. Each inspector completed a detailed checklist and worked with local election officials to resolve any issues that may have been identified.

The Attorney General’s Election Hotline received approximately 277 calls during the day Tuesday. Each call was assigned to an attorney for resolution of the issue identified. The majority of issues were resolved on Tuesday by working directly with local election officials.

Calls to the hotline primarily involved questions and concerns about high voter turnout, activity at polling locations, and electioneering. Callers raised questions about long lines, high volumes of voters, and the registration of new voters at polling locations. The Office also received questions and complaints about electioneering at or near polling locations. These matters were addressed in coordination with local election moderators, who play a critical role in ensuring New Hampshire’s elections are conducted fairly and in accordance with the law. The state’s longstanding model of local control at the polls allows moderators to address issues directly and effectively within their communities.

The Office received no credible allegations of election interference. It also received no hotline complaints concerning celebrities appearing at polling locations in connection with Turning Point Action activities, or complaints concerning the activities of federal Department of Justice or congressional election observers present in New Hampshire.

The Attorney General’s Office also responded promptly to an incident reported at a polling location in Laconia, working with local election officials and the Laconia Police Department to support an appropriate response. Laconia Police are investigating an alleged assault involving an individual affiliated with Turning Point Action at the Woodland Heights polling location in Ward 5. The incident resulted in an arrest on November 4. The Attorney General’s Office remained engaged with local officials as the matter was addressed.

Overall, Election Day operations proceeded without any significant disruption to the administration of the election. The hotline and statewide inspection efforts allowed the Attorney General’s Office to respond quickly to questions and concerns while supporting local election officials in their important work.

The following state agencies provided personnel who assisted our efforts:

The Department of Environmental Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Safety provided personnel to assist in our poll inspection efforts. The Department of Safety, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Emergency Operations Center and the Joint Information Center provided support throughout the day. The Office also worked closely with Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies including the New Hampshire State Police.

The Attorney General’s General Election Day Operations were led by Senior Assistant Attorney General Sean Locke, Chief Investigator Richard Tracy, and Paralegal Jill Tekin of the Election Law Unit as well as Associate Attorney General Matthew Broadhead.

The post AG Formella: ‘No Significant Disruption to the Administration of the Election’ appeared first on InDepthNH.org.