The governors of three states — Washington, Nevada and Oregon — said they are prepared to deploy the National Guard to help with possible civil unrest on Election Day or the days after.
Washington Governor Jay Inslee and Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo followed warnings from the Department of Homeland Security about the threat of violence during presidential election week and activated National Guard members to support local and state law enforcement . Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has not activated her state’s National Guard, but her office said Monday that the Guardsmen are “trained and ready” in case they are needed.
In a joint bulletin, DHS and the FBI warned of potential violence from domestic extremists who believe claims of election fraud or harbor anger toward perceived political opponents. The agencies wrote that extremists were likely to target voting locations, ballot boxes, voter registration locations, political rallies, campaign events and political party offices.
In the run-up to the elections, some of these warnings have become reality. An Arizona man was accused last week of shooting at a Democratic National Committee office near Phoenix. Also last week, ballot boxes in Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington were set on fire and hundreds of ballots were destroyed.
In response to the ballot box fire in his state, Inslee sent a letter Friday to Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington Military Department, placing the National Guard on standby status. Activation expires just after midnight on Friday.
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has warned that threats to election infrastructure remain high during the 2024 election cycle. The southwestern region of Washington State has already experienced specific instances of election-related unrest,” Inslee wrote. “I am directing the Washington National Guard to prepare to provide critical support for public safety by activating necessary Washington National Guard personnel in a standby status.”
Conspiracies and calls for violence are rising online in the run-up to election day
Inslee wrote that the Guardsmen could support local law enforcement and the Washington State Patrol to “protect vital infrastructure related to the conduct of free and fair elections and respond to any unrest related to the 2024 general election.”
In Nevada, one of the seven key swing states, Lombardo said he would activate 60 National Guard members in Carson City and Las Vegas to standby status on Election Day. If called upon, they will assist with duties such as traffic enforcement, building security and communications, the governor’s office said in a statement last week.
“After consulting with stakeholders across the state, I have determined that a preemptive activation of the National Guard makes sense at this time. We do not expect that these personnel will have to be deployed,” Lombardo said.
The Oregon governor’s office will monitor cases of voter intimidation or election interference and work with local, state and federal agencies “to ensure Oregon voters can cast their ballots safely,” Kotek’s office said in an email -mail. While the Oregon National Guard has not yet been activated, it could be called upon to support law enforcement “if they reach capacity,” the agency said.
William Banks, a law professor at Syracuse University who wrote a book on the domestic role of the U.S. military, described the governors’ actions as reasonable.
“Governors’ precautions — activating or alerting National Guard members — are reasonable, just as similar calls would precede a major storm threatening a state,” Banks said. “The governors would direct Guard personnel to quell any violent disturbances, but not to interfere in any way with voting or counting. In some circumstances it may be a challenge to toe that line when it comes to election interference, but that is the task ahead.”
Veterans urge Americans against political violence ahead of the election
The increased threat of violence against poll workers, along with false conspiracies about election fraud, prompted some election officials to increase election security in preparation for Tuesday. Some municipalities have implemented security measures such as panic buttons and bulletproof glass, The Associated Press reported.
The Justice Department has set up a special hotline where people can report intimidation or other forms of voting interference. The hotline – 888-636-6596 – became available Saturday and will remain open until Nov. 8. And the Commission for Safe and Secure Elections created a public service announcement, in which local election officials and retired military officers urged Americans not to interfere with the voting process or participate in political violence.
Despite the concerns, extremism experts predict that election-related violence is likely to occur after Election Day, and not while voting is taking place.
“Don’t let fear and intimidation stop you from exercising your right,” said Wendy Via, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. “People need to be prepared and careful, but not afraid.”
This story was created in collaboration with Military veterans in journalism. Send tips to MVJ-Tips@militarytimes.com.
