LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — From fears of Russian interference to false claims of missing ballots, concerns about election integrity can be found all across the political spectrum.
With that in mind, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin has decided to put a newly formed election unit into action.
On Thursday, Griffin released a general reminder for Arkansans about the Election Integrity Unit that was established in 2023.
"Thanks to the legislature’s work last year, my office now has the authority to bring a civil cause of action against those who violate our election laws. This is an important tool to ensure that our laws are followed as monetary damages can be an effective deterrent," said Attorney General Tim Griffin.
He explained how the unit consists of a set of his investigators including former Little Rock Police Chief Wayne Bewley. He also said that they're working together to fight election crimes.
"Whether it involves the actual voting, or whether it involves certain political activities, right by the front door of the voting area. There are many different laws, and we will look at all of that when we receive the allegation," Griffin added.
He also explained how the Election Integrity Unit investigates any allegations to ensure that voters know the system is not rigged. If they find anything to be factual then there will be consequences for those involved.
"Because someone may think, you know, what's the worst that can happen? I mean, I'm in jail for a week. Well, I can take $10,000 or whatever, fine, and impose that upon them, depending on the circumstances and that can be significant. So, it's another tool in the toolbox, where we don't have to pick a civil approach or criminal, we can pursue both," Griffin described.
Another reason why the unit was created is because a lot of questions were circulating both nationally and locally regarding voting accuracy.
"It's really important that voters have confidence in our election system and the integrity of voting in Arkansas. The good news is, we have a great track record in Arkansas of secure elections and that's because we have numerous officials at the county level. and at the state level," Griffin said.
He said that the unit will be in place all the way through election season and after.
"One of the roles of my office is to work to investigate any allegations that there may be some misconduct at the polling location in the voting, and the counting, or whatever," Griffin said. "I wanted to make certain that people knew who to call, and how to get in touch with my office if they believe if they've got that they've got some information that I need to look into."
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the Election Integrity Unit you can reach out to the Attorney General's office.