The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the deployment of district election officers to handle reports of intimidation and threats, fraud, and other election irregularities as part of the Election Day program.
“The Department will address these violations wherever they occur,” the department said. “The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations.”
According to the DOJ, the FBI will also have special agents available in each of the bureau’s field offices on Election Day to respond to allegations of election fraud or other abuses.
Last month, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland held a public meeting of the Election Day task force, saying there has been an “unprecedented spike” in threats targeting election workers since 2020.
The DOJ’s announcements did not give specific examples of possible threats targeting election workers, nor did they make reference to alleged attempts by foreign adversaries to try to sway the U.S. election.
The DOJ said it will work to counter and disrupt attempts by Russia, Iran, and China to “interfere in our elections,” according to Garland, who was referring to U.S. intelligence reports that foreign actors are “seeking to interfere.”
Garland also made reference to criminal cases against individuals who allegedly made threats against election workers in Arizona, Colorado, and Michigan in July and August, including an instance in which an Alabama man allegedly threatened to kill election officials in Maricopa County, Arizona.
Earlier this month, a White House official said the United States had been closely tracking Iranian threats against former President Donald Trump and warned of “severe consequences” if Tehran were to attack any U.S. citizen.
“We consider this a national and homeland security matter of the highest priority, and we strongly condemn Iran for these brazen threats,” White House National Security Council spokesperson Sean Savett told Reuters. “Should Iran attack any of our citizens, including those who continue to serve the United States or those who formerly served, Iran will face severe consequences.”
Several top officials in multiple battleground states have also issued warnings that delaying the certification of the 2024 election could result in criminal punishment or other penalties.
“The law is clear, and we won’t tolerate anyone not following it for any reason,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson told Reuters in an interview last week.
“There are times and places for challenging election results. The certification process is not one of them.”
Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry told the media outlet that her office is “ready.”
“Should anyone not comply with the statutes, we will investigate that, and there will be consequences,” she said.
“There are both criminal and civil actions that could be taken to maintain the integrity of the process.”
Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul said, “[It is] our expectation that election officials will follow the law, but if we receive concerns that that won’t be the case, we’re prepared to act.”
