If you have been accused of election fraud or voter fraud in New Jersey, you may feel anxious and concerned about your future. It is important that you take the allegations seriously and understand what consequences you may face if found guilty.
Protect your rights by working with an experienced and dedicated election fraud or voter fraud lawyer in New Jersey. At Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, we are committed to providing guidance, support, and vigorous defense for clients accused of election fraud or voter fraud.
What Is Election Fraud or Voter Fraud?
Election fraud or voter fraud covers any act interfering with an individual’s ability to exercise their right to vote freely. This includes actions that deprive others of their ability to vote and actions that could invalidate the votes of others or unfairly alter the strength of their votes.
Election fraud or voter fraud can take many forms, including voter registration fraud, casting a vote under someone else’s name, voter suppression, intimidation, vote-buying, or deceptive acts by polling place workers or elected officials like ballot stuffing or improper casting of absentee ballots.
The NJ election fraud or voter fraud attorneys at Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski understand the full implications of these cases. Attorney Brandon Minde has extensive experience with election fraud or voter fraud cases, including on the prosecution side in high-profile cases as well as the defense of such charges in both state and federal court, and he is committed to providing clients facing election fraud or voter fraud charges with a vigorous defense.
Examples of Election Fraud or Voter Fraud
There are numerous types of election fraud or voter fraud, and the scope of this crime has increased with technological advances in the electoral process. Examples of election fraud include:
- Voter impersonation
- Hacking an election system to alter results
- Bribing or blackmailing election officials or voters
- Voter intimidation
- Preventing absentee ballots from reaching voters or improperly casting absentee ballots without voter permission
- Intercepting votes by mail and preventing them from reaching the elections office
- Interfering with the secrecy of a ballot
In some instances, acts of election fraud or voter fraud like using someone else’s name to cast a ballot may seem like a harmless crime, but fraud of this type dilutes the value of legitimate votes and compromises the overall integrity of elections, especially when narrow margins of victory are at play.
The weightiness of election fraud or voter fraud means that it can be intimidating to face these types of charges, and individuals charged with these serious offenses should not fight them alone. Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski stands ready to take on your case and provide you with an informed and strategic defense that will allow you to move forward with confidence.
The Government Takes Election Fraud or Voter Fraud Seriously, and There Are Significant Consequences
To protect democracy and the integrity of elections, New Jersey and the federal government have implemented measures to fight election fraud, including tough legal penalties to discourage parties from committing related crimes.
Election fraud or voter fraud could fall under state or federal law. In some cases, charges of fraud could be prosecuted as a state indictable offense or a federal felony, punishable by fines and time in prison.
New Jersey takes election fraud or voter fraud very seriously. It is an indictable offense, and hence if you are convicted of election fraud or voter fraud, you can face years in prison. Furthermore, a felony conviction will impact you in significant ways for the rest of your life, such as the ability to find employment or housing.
If you have been arrested for this crime, contact an election fraud or voter fraud lawyer in NJ from Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski immediately. Our experienced team has a long record of advocating for our client in New Jersey and aims to mount the best possible defense for your case.
Voter Suppression
Voter suppression can take many forms. The most common method involves an individual interfering with a legal vote. If a government official or campaign volunteer gives false information or creates undue delays in the voting process, they impact a person’s right to exercise their vote and could stand accused of election fraud or voter fraud.
Typically, any form of voter suppression can be prosecuted as election fraud or voter fraud. After all, there is almost no way to suppress someone’s vote without intimidating, coercing, or deceiving them—and all of those activities fall under the definition of fraud.
Consult With an Attorney
Election fraud or voter fraud is a serious crime in New Jersey. When election officials or campaign workers are caught committing election fraud, the state can send them to prison for many years.