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US states warn officials: Delaying, tampering with vote could bring criminal charges

County officials have also been warned that failing to certify results on time could force their local governments to foot the bill for unnecessary audits or recounts.

FILE PHOTO: Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on the first day of early in-person voting in one of the mountainous counties badly affected by Hurricane Helene, in Marion, North Carolina, U.S. October 17, 2024. / REUTERS/Jonathan Drake

Some U.S. states are sending strong signals to county and local officials who might be tempted to intervene illegally in the Nov. 5 election or refuse to certify results: Fail to do your duty and risk criminal charges or hefty financial penalties.

In at least five of the seven battleground states that could determine whether the next U.S. president is Democrat Kamala Harris or Republican Donald Trump, top election and law enforcement officials have investigated, indicted and even jailed officials who tried to interfere with the vote or delay certification of results, a necessary but largely ceremonial step.

County officials have also been warned that failing to certify results on time could force their local governments to foot the bill for unnecessary audits or recounts.

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