Arlington prosecutor launches task force for possible voter intimidation and fraud

Arlington's top prosecutor is stepping up measures "to ensure safe and fair elections" in November.

The Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Arlington and Falls Church announced today (Friday) that it has established a task force "to rapidly respond to and investigate any reports of voter intimidation, interference, or fraud."

The office plans to have additional prosecutors on call on Election Day "to swiftly address any legal issues that may arise at polling places." It has also launched an election webpage with links to more resources, and has provided local law enforcement, election officials and poll workers with training materials on election laws and procedures.

Commonwealth's Attorney Parisa Dehghani-Tafti emphasized her commitment to prosecute "any attempts to interfere with the voting process or intimidate voters."

"Our goal is to ensure that every eligible voter in Arlington and Falls Church can exercise their fundamental right to vote without fear or obstruction," she said. "Safe and fair elections are crucial for maintaining public trust in our democratic institutions."

This announcement comes a few weeks after the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign co-hosted a training in Clarendon for volunteer "observers" to watch for potential voter fraud at the polls.

The GOP-led " Protect the Vote " campaign is seeking to recruit 5,000 volunteers in Virginia to "be in the room whenever a vote is cast," with the stated goal of preserving election integrity.

The complete press release from the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office is below.

Because free and fair elections are the cornerstone of democracy, the Office of the Commonwealth's Attorney for Arlington County and the City of Falls Church has taken proactive steps to ensure safe and fair elections this fall. Today, we share several initiatives the Office has implemented in collaboration with local partners aimed at protecting voting rights and election integrity.

Key efforts by the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office include:

Election Protection Task Force: We have established a dedicated team to rapidly respond to and investigate any reports of voter intimidation, interference, or fraud.

Poll Worker Training: We have provided training materials to local election officials and law enforcement on election laws and procedures to poll workers and will be participating in training.

Voter Education: We have launched a webpage, Election 2024 , with links to local election resources, voter registration, and an election safety fact sheet. We will be presenting at the Arlington Chapter NAACP meeting on Sept. 23, 2024, and welcome the opportunity to speak to other community groups and organizations.

Increased Election Day Staffing: Additional prosecutors will be on call on Election Day to swiftly address any legal issues that may arise at polling places.

Parisa Dehghani-Tafti emphasized the Office will prosecute any attempts to interfere with the voting process or intimidate voters. Voters should report any suspicious activity to election officials or law enforcement, whose contact information can be found at OCA Voting Rights Fact Sheet . "Our goal is to ensure that every eligible voter in Arlington and Falls Church can exercise their fundamental right to vote without fear or obstruction," Dehghani-Tafti stated. "Safe and fair elections are crucial for maintaining public trust in our democratic institutions."

The Commonwealth's Attorney's Office will continue to work closely with local, state and federal partners to coordinate election protection efforts.