Drones, snipers, razor wire, sniffer dogs, body armor, bulletproof glass, and 24-hour armed security.
This is not a list of protective measures in place in preparation for the US President’s visit, or the contents of shipments to front-line troops fighting in Ukraine. Here’s a list of safety measures county election officials across the country have had to implement ahead of Tuesday’s voting as a result of the unprecedented threats faced in recent years.
Officials are taking typical final steps to ensure the smooth running of elections, but in addition to ensuring there are enough ballots and that machines are working properly, officials are currently , you’re faced with the need to monitor threats and check if you’ve done everything. You can protect yourself and your staff.
“Given the current political environment, the likelihood of an incident has increased and the election The experts were kind and helpful.” “Efforts focused on the physical safety of voters, election workers, and staff, such as installing bulletproof glass, panic buttons, razor wire, and fencing, as well as installing surveillance cameras and systems, cyber protection, and election preparation training. – Escalation techniques and response training are fairly common. ”
Nowhere in the United States is the militarization of the electoral process more evident than in Maricopa County.
The nation’s fourth-largest county has become a stronghold for election-denial conspiracy theorists in recent years after Republican lawmakers sanctioned a fake 2021 recount run by the Florida company CyberNinjas. Ta.
As a result, Maricopa has strengthened its security measures over the years. “We’re a fortress right now,” Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer told WIRED in February, explaining how he had to overcome security barriers, metal detectors and security checks to get into his office. I explained why this was not the case.
As the 2024 election approaches, the measures Maricopa officials are putting in place have significantly increased.
Officials are now adding a second layer of safety fencing to protect election offices and concrete K-rails, but this means fewer parking spaces and poll workers will be bused in from outside the venue. means to move. The country’s counting centers will have metal detectors on every door, floodlights will be installed, and election officials say the centers will be guarded on voting day by a group of snipers stationed on the roofs around the building. told NBC.
