As the US election day approaches, election security is under close scrutiny. Police departments across America are ramping up security measures to address potential election violence threats, voter intimidation, disturbances at polling places, and to prevent a repeat of the chaos witnessed in 2020.
Currently, local law enforcement officials and election officers nationwide have formulated plans to deal with emergency situations that may arise on election day, such as bomb threats, false alarms, and suspicious packages.
Meghan Noland, Executive Director of the Major County Sheriffs Association, stated, “This is a new reality. While we hope for a peaceful, calm, and secure election day for everyone, ‘hope’ is not a strategy; preparedness is key.”
During this election season, several election offices in different regions have faced harassment incidents. For instance, the election office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, was shot at, and election offices in five states received suspicious packages containing white powder, some of which was found to contain fentanyl upon testing. In Georgia, Maine, Michigan, and Missouri, election officials received multiple prank 911 calls.
Recently, suspected arson incidents have occurred at mailboxes or ballot boxes in Arizona, Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon, resulting in damaged ballots.
To prevent similar incidents during the election period, law enforcement agencies in various states are increasing manpower to ensure the safety of polling places, preempt any potential disruptions or violent events. Additionally, police are enhancing communication with communities to ensure voters understand election security measures and encouraging them to report any suspicious activities on election day.
In Maricopa County, Arizona, the Sheriff’s Office will operate multiple emergency centers on November 5th to handle unforeseen situations during the election.
In Georgia, all newly hired officers are now required to undergo training on election laws to ensure they can properly handle related incidents during the election.
In Nebraska, the sheriff of Omaha even inspected election vote-counting machines in response to residents’ concerns.
In Larimer County, Colorado, retired sheriff Justin Smith compared the atmosphere of election threats and the pressure faced by law enforcement to the Columbine school shooting incident that occurred 25 years ago.
Officials and experts believe that since the 2020 election, there has been a fundamental change in the security of US elections, with rumors and conspiracy theories about election fraud continuously surfacing. Law enforcement officials are concerned about the potential for violence during this election.
According to the latest updates on election threat cases from the Department of Justice, out of 20 cases, 8 threats were targeted at Arizona officials, with 5 cases involving threats to officials in Maricopa County.
Arizona, with 11 electoral votes, is one of the critical states, and Maricopa County is the largest county in the state, accounting for over 60% of Arizona’s population and surpassing the population of more than twenty states in the US. Election officials have warned that it may take up to 13 days to tally all the votes in the county this year.
Arizona Secretary of State, Adrian Fontes, testified this week at a hearing stating that since the 2020 election, he has almost always worn a bulletproof vest when appearing in public.
According to Reuters, photos of officials at work were taken that year, and these officials were threatened with “execution.”
Earlier this month, a man was arrested for firing shots at the Democratic National Committee office in Phoenix. Despite no injuries, authorities retrieved over 120 firearms and 250,000 rounds of ammunition. Phoenix is the capital of Arizona and the largest city in Maricopa County.