Officials across the country are concerned about the possibility that violent protesters or armed extremists could try to disrupt presidential election rallies next month.
Following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riots, many government officials no longer feel they can take for granted the once ceremonial aspects of the transition of power.
They have been working for months with local and state law enforcement to shut down the Electoral College meetings, which are taking place simultaneously in December in all 50 state capitals and in Washington, DC. They significantly restrict public access – a sharp break from the festive and open spirit that has imbued the events in recent years.
“We are taking this very, very seriously,” said Democrat Adrian Fontes, Arizona’s secretary of state. “One of these days we may return to the days of bunting and balloons, but this year the threat of domestic terrorism is too great.”
These preparations underscore how Donald Trump’s attempt to subvert the 2020 election has thrust the fundamental processes of American democracy into the national spotlight – elevating their significance and making them a clearer target for those seeking the certification of presidential elections disrupt.
Chief election officials or governors in Arizona, New Mexico, Minnesota, Pennsylvania and Washington — all Democrats or part of Democratic administrations — told POLITICO about some of the ways they have worked with state and federal authorities, such as the Department of Homeland Security, to pass new developing strategies to keep the electoral college safe. No specific threat has emerged so far, they said — but they want to be prepared in case one becomes a reality.
While each of the 51 gatherings has its own quirks and security challenges, state officials implementing changes described a common shift: injecting a security mindset into an event that never happened and working more closely with law enforcement and prosecutors than before. Unpleasant.
It comes as law enforcement officials at all levels have warned of increasing threats against election workers, vote-counting facilities and even participants in the Electoral College process. Secretaries of state and poll workers say they are routinely harassed and threatened.
It’s a tinderbox environment in what could be a very close election.
“There was once a ceremony that was held in the rotunda of the Capitol in Minnesota, literally where the public had access, where tour groups walked by, and it was just completely open,” Minnesota Secretary of State Steve said. Simon, a Democrat. “That’s just not practical today, given this environment.”
Simon, who has presided over two previous presidential elections, said he is looking for a room in the state Capitol where access is easier to monitor and control. He also plans to coordinate with the winning campaign on any security concerns they may have, including how voters will reach the capital on December 17.
“There’s no doubt that this is a departure from the way it was even 12 years ago,” he said.
POLITICO asked top election officials in several Republican-led states if they were making new security preparations for the Electoral College. Some declined to comment or referred POLITICO to state law enforcement agencies, which did not respond to requests for comment. Party officials, who played a central role in coordinating voters’ security efforts in 2020, are reluctant to discuss details.
Some state officials said they are simply not concerned about the threats in their states.
“We are taking the usual precautions and are in contact with appropriate law enforcement personnel,” said Michael G. Adams, communications director for Kentucky Secretary of State Michon Lindstrom. “We have not received and do not expect any security threat to the meeting of our constituents.”
In 2020, Trump assembled a series of allies to falsely pose as presidential electors in seven states where Joe Biden had prevailed. Those fake voters met and signed the paperwork as if they were the legitimate voters from those swing states, an attempt to force a conflict that Trump hoped Republicans in Congress would resolve in his favor. But Trump worked on this effort covertly, never publicly highlighting the election rallies as a key moment. Covid-19 was also widespread and caused significant restrictions on public access to the proceedings.
This time it is expected to be different. The crucial role that voters play in finalizing election results has received much more attention in the run-up to the 2024 elections. And even if Trump doesn’t try to intervene in the same way, officials describe a more intense and dangerous threat environment than any in modern memory — at every stage of the post-election process. If voters fail to cast their ballots before the December 17 deadline, it would raise significant legal questions about whether their votes can be counted at all.
And that is why the security challenge is not limited to the swing states expected to decide the 2024 elections. If voters in any state are prevented from meeting, the consequences could be catastrophic.
In New Mexico, one of seven states involved in the 2020 bogus electoral plot, Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said she is now working with the state legislature and the governor’s office on plans to lock down the state capitol building for the meeting. new protections for individual voters themselves.
Although there were no violent incidents or protests four years ago, Toulouse Oliver said, the capital was still on lockdown because of the pandemic – and she thinks they may have just been lucky.
“Now that we know what happened, we feel like we need to be better prepared,” she said.
Federal officials have been reluctant to talk about their post-election plans, including those surrounding the Dec. 17 election rallies.
A spokesperson said the FBI has established a National Election Command post and will remain involved as the election machinery continues to operate.
“Although Election Day is November 5, the FBI’s work with our state and local partners in securing the election begins well before that date and continues well beyond that date,” an FBI spokesperson said. “In the months leading up to Election Day, the FBI has been making extensive preparations. As always, we are working closely with our federal, state and local partners.”
The process of increasing security during Electoral College meetings has its drawbacks.
While New Mexico held a modest ceremony in 2016, Toulouse Oliver said she had hoped to emulate some of the “splendor” of other states before the 2020 pandemic. Now she’s setting up a livestream instead of letting the audience watch in person.
Simon from Minnesota also lamented the new focus on safety. In 2016, he said he helped arrange busloads of high school civilian classes to come and observe the process, and they took the opportunity to hand out some prizes. This year he is narrowing down the opportunities for community involvement.
“It will still be an opportunity to talk about the strengths of our democracy,” Simon said. “But it is happening against a backdrop of post-election tension, which has us focusing more than we otherwise would like on physical security.
