Federal authorities have advised law enforcement about potential political violence on Nov. 6, over the midterm elections across the United States.
“Both domestic extremists and (radicalized jihadists) have previously targeted public events and government officials, and we remain concerned by the ongoing threat of lone offender violence,” the statement says. “We are concerned some domestic extremists and (radicalized jihadists) may perceive the election or transition period (which in most cases will extend through January 2019) as an opportunity to engage in violence, including assaults against political or prominent public figures and low-level acts of violence against governmental and nongovernmental institutions associated with political figures or the democratic process.”
They are working to make sure that every single vote is “counted and counted correctly,” the statement reads.
“At this time we have no indication of compromise of our nation’s election infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts, or disrupt the ability to tally vote,” officials stated.
However, there are some foreign actors who might try to spread “false information about political processes and candidates, lying about their own interference activities, disseminating propaganda on social media, and through other tactics,” the statement reads.
The agencies named China, Russia, and Iran in particular as foreign actors that may try to influence the election.
“As noted in a joint statement on October 19, 2018, such actions are a threat to our democracy, and identifying and preventing this interference is one of our highest priorities. On Sept. 12, President Trump signed an executive order that makes clear the U.S. government will not hesitate to defend our electoral processes or punish those who attempt to undermine them,” the statement reads.
Facebook, in a statement, said it was contacted by federal law enforcement on Nov. 5 about potential election meddling from foreign entities.
