Federal Election Fraud Fact Sheet Most issues concerning the administration and conduct of elections are governed and regulated by state law and are best addressed by state and local election officials. Federal law enforcement and prosecutorial authorities have jurisdiction to investigate and, when appropriate, prosecute election fraud in the following circumstances: I. Federal Criminal Jurisdiction Federal criminal jurisdiction over the activities described below can generally be obtained when those activities take place: In elections where a federal candidate’s name is on the ballot. In any election (federal or nonfederal), when the fraud involves the necessary participation of an election official...