BOSTON — The United States election season, which started in late 2023 and has already seen millions of votes already cast, will continue until at least inauguration day in January 2025. Safeguarding democracy from foreign and domestic threats was the subject of a panel discussion at IACP 2024.
Introductory remarks from retired Chiefs Kathleen O’Toole and Charles Ramsey set the tone of the presentation for the law enforcement leaders in attendance.
“Four years ago, I was having trouble getting anyone to pay attention to this issue,” O’Toole said. “This is our democracy at stake, we need to step up and keep people safe.”
“We are not just talking about November 5,” Ramsey said. “You’ve got to be prepared for the days that follow. We need to be prepared.”
Joanna Lydgate, JD, Chief Executive Officer, States United Democracy Center, led a discussion with three panelists.
- Shon Barnes, Ph.D., Chief of Police, Madison (Wis.) Police Department
- Amy Bonney, Chief of Police, Prescott (Ariz.) Police Department
- Heather Fong, Senior Counselor, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Election season priorities for law enforcement leaders
SUDC is a non-partisan organization that works in states where elections are most closely contested to help prepare law enforcement leaders for elections. In this election season SUDC has observed voter intimidation, election official harassment and other threats to free and fair voting.
SUDC’s eight priorities for law enforcement leaders during election season were the subject of the panel discussion. Those priorities are:
- Make sure intelligence streams on election-related threats are locked in.
- Maintain close relationships with election official counterparts.
- Provide election-specific training to personnel and familiarize officers with the election-related laws they must enforce.
- Develop an operational plan that spans the early voting period, election day, and the post-election period.
- Prepare to respond with a lighter touch where voters are present.
- Train on conflict management and de-escalation strategies specific to elections.
- Develop both an internal and external communications plan.
- Officer wellness is mission-critical.
Scroll to the end of this article for the full SUDC “Priorities for Law Enforcement Leaders During Election Season” handout.
Top takeaways for law enforcement leaders
Lydgate led the panelists through a discussion that touched on each of the SUDC priorities. Here are the top takeaways from their discussion.
1. Not too late, lots you can do
Even though we are just days away from election day, Tuesday, November 5, SUDC and the panelists reassured panelists that it’s not too late to prepare their department for the election and there is a lot that can be done.
Fong instructed attendees to log into the Homeland Security Information Network for information on international threats to election security.
“Sign in. Find that information. Take it to your jurisdiction (to prepare your community),” Fong said.
Additional information is available through fusion centers, annual assessments and technical assistance phone lines for local law enforcement officials to access, according to Fong.
Operational planning, including a plan to open emergency operations center on election day, is underway in Madison. Personnel will be monitoring for misinformation and disinformation.
“Some planning is better than no planning,” Barnes said when emphasizing the importance of preparation.
2. Collaborate with election officials
Barnes led the discussion on the importance of collaboration with election officials.
“We (police) have one job on November 5. Not be on the news,” Barnes said. “That begins with preparation.”
Law enforcement leaders need to know and understand the rules in their jurisdiction, who to call if there are voting-related problems, when to call, when to intervene and when not to intervene. Barnes discussed a recent joint tabletop exercise with election officials to learn, build relationships and anticipate potential threats. The lessons from the tabletop, as well as other preparations, are informing the training patrol officers are receiving in advance of election day.
3. Prepare for election season, not election day
Barnes reminded attendees that the election season lasts beyond election day. For example, Madison is the state capital and electors will convene in Madison on December 17. The police department is already preparing to ensure the events on this day are smooth, safe and fair.
Barnes also encouraged attendees to ask questions about who is responsible for what. He shared an example about the security of ballot drop boxes. If you don’t know if ballot box drop off security is a local law enforcement responsibility, you need to ask.
4. Create relationships in advance
Relationships with election officials extend beyond local officials to state and federal partners.
“You can’t trade business cards on the battlefield. Establish relationships with state, local and federal partners,” Bonney said.
Preparation isn’t limited to protecting the polling locations, but also creating relationships that clarify a law enforcement role, if any, for ballot transport, ballot counting locations and ballot storage sites.
5. Election-incident training
Madison is using daily briefings to deliver micro-training to all of its officers. One training element is making sure patrol officers know that supervisors will respond to any election related incidents on election day.
In Prescott, a simple bullet-point pocket card was created for all officers. Patrol officers will be accompanied by a supervisor to any incidents at polling locations. The city attorney’s office will also be on standby on election day to answer police department questions.
6. De-escalation of conflict
Though it is impossible to predict the outcome of the election or how supporters of the candidates will react to the results, the panelists recommend that everyone needs to anticipate the potential for conflict and unrest.
“No matter what happens that day,” Bonney said. “We know there’s going to be something.”
The panelists discussed utilizing city personnel trained in de-escalation and law enforcement crisis negotiators to respond to conflicts at polling locations. Those people may have an applicable skill set and community knowledge that can defuse situations that might interrupt voting.
When responding to conflicts patrol officers and supervisors need to make sure to focus on the complaint, de-escalate the incident and not appear to be taking a political side. SUDC is encouraging law enforcement to prepare to respond with a lighter tough where voters are present.
7. Holistic communication plan starts now
Law enforcement officials need to understand the media habits and social media usage of their citizens. Madison and Prescott have contrasting demographics. Therefore, communication plans need to account for how citizens in each community receive media including print, television, AM/FM radio and social media. For example, according to Bonney print media and AM radio are more effective to reach the citizens in Prescott than social media.
Barnes emphasized the importance of unified messaging and unless the topic is a public safety topic, law enforcement officials are better offer deferring comments to the media to election officials and other local government officials.
8. Officer wellness is a concern
The SUDC’s final priority is that officer wellness is mission-critical during the election season. Barnes and Bonney discussed how officers may experience the same elation or disappointment during the election season as the citizens they protect.
“If they’re not well they can’t do the job in the way we need them to do,” Barnes said.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct that electors will convene in Madison, Wis. on December 17 and not December 16.
