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| 1.23.24
What To Do if You Experience Voter Intimidation at a Ballot Drop Box
Are you concerned about experiencing voter intimidation at the polls this year?
The election is around the corner, and voter intimidation is on the rise.
A Reuters poll found that two in five U.S. voters worry about threats of violence and intimidation at polling stations this year. With this growing fear, it's crucial to know how to handle voting intimidation if you witness it during this election.
What is voter intimidation?
- Voter intimidation happens when someone attempts to interfere with anyone else's fundamental right to vote with aggressive behavior towards the voter as they attempt to vote, falsely presenting oneself as an elections official, spreading false information about voter requirements, displaying misleading signs at the voting center, and more.
- Frequently, voter intimidation, on top of harassment and hostility, is pointed toward non-English speakers and voters of color.
Examples of voter intimidation
- The risk of violence during elections only increased in 2022. Election workers in Arizona, Georgia, Texas, Ohio, and more were harassed, threatened, and even received death threats. The FBI issued a press release during the midterms in seven states that there were unusual levels of threats to election workers. The Brennan Center found that over half of election officials fear for their physical safety.
- Ten cases of voter intimidation were reported at drop box locations in Arizona before the 2022 midterm election. Witnesses recalled numerous individuals photographing and filming voters as they returned their ballots. Some people were armed and covered in "camo-clad gear." The Arizona Alliance for Retired Americans and Voto Latino filed a lawsuit against the alleged perpetrators, accusing them of conducting a "coordinated vigilante intimidation campaign" with the "purpose of deterring voters…from depositing their ballots."
- Extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and the Oath Keppers have been known to coordinate localized efforts to intimidate voters. Some even signed up as poll watchers and workers, trying to use legitimate means to disrupt the voting process across the country.
- In Michigan in 2022, a local group called the America Project trained volunteers to set up hidden cameras near drop boxes, instructing them to be armed while monitoring voters. A Philadelphia pastor reported increased traffic in his neighborhood, specifically from trucks with Trump and "Make America Great Again" flags attempting to intimidate Black communities.
What can you do?
- It's essential to know your rights as a voter. Voter intimidation is a federal crime, and your right to vote is legally protected. As stated in 18 U.S. Code Section 594:
"Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate…shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both."
- Exercising your fundamental right to vote should be easy. It's important to speak up if something, or someone, is impeding the process. If you think you're a victim of or witnessing voter intimidation, call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) to receive help from a trained election protection volunteer.
- Anything suspicious should be reported to your local election official immediately. You can find your state or local election office's website here.
- It is crucial to document the encounter, whether you are experiencing it or witnessing it, so it can be reported to the local County Board of Elections and County District Attorney. Be sure to note the incident's date, time, and location. The County Commission is required to investigate alleged voter intimidation and report it to the District Attorney, who then has the authority to prosecute the violation.
- Safety is of the utmost importance, so it is vital not to confront the challenger, as they could be armed.
- Knowing the differences and similarities between poll watching and voter intimidation is also important. While election observers and poll watchers can be nonpartisan and credible, it has been used to intimidate voters and illegally sway elections. Rooted in Jim Crow, poll watchers historically attempted to stop Black Americans from exercising their right to vote. Most states specify legal qualifications and regulations for partisan poll watchers, which you can learn about here. Nevertheless, credible, nonpartisan observers play an important role in elections — you can discover more about observers here.
More resources
- The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center has fact sheets for all 50 states diving into the laws barring unauthorized private militia groups and what action to take if these groups arrive at a polling or voter registration place. You can find all of the fact sheets here.
- The Brennan Center for Justice created a resource explaining the limits on government and private actors when it comes to interfering at the polls, which may be helpful to know if you need to call 911. Find the info here.
- The ACLU's voter intimidation guide offers information on reporting, poll monitoring, assistance for non-English speaking voters, and more.
Are you concerned about experiencing voter intimidation at the polls this year?
-Jamie Epstein
(Photo credit: iStock/sanfel)
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Why do we need poll watchers when there is already video surveillance? And why do poll watchers need to be armed, and conceal their identities with masks & license plate covers? Are they planning to do illegal things hence obscuring their identity?
Do we all need to start wearing body cams for aggressive, armed pollwatchers at polls and ballot boxes?
I use my age advantage to request mail-in ballots so I have not had to deal with poll watchers. Others that Iknow have been distressed by the the presence of intimidators. I think that each and every encounter with them should be reported and logged just in case any violence results from MAGA-nuts who are just drowning in a disinformation sea. Like the guy that attmpted to kill Paul Pelosi, or the guy that wanted to protect the childen from Democratic perverts who wanted to drink their blood.
It was reported shortly after the 2018 midterms that the RNC was soliciting para-military groups intimidate voters at the polls and had video 'training' session on how to used an armed presence to intimidate voters, like they used to do in the Jim Crow era. The training included what to do and what not to do - to avoid breaking the law.
I wonder if this was where the various paramilitary nut-jobs got their 'first contact' with the Republican Cartel,
AND A SPECIAL THANKS TO THE FERALIST SOCIETY SUPREME COURT JUSTICES WHO ARGUED THAT THESE VOTER PROTECTIONS ARE NO LONGER NEEDED.
Terrorism is still a crime, call police if you see anyone toting a gun at a polling place.
GOP is still trying to get Nancy Pelosi and other political rivals killed.
Vichy today:
"The only way this guy got in was he was let in. If not, then show us the security videos of him breaking in."
He was "let in", sez shit-poster.
Shit-poster is now aggressively promoting the gay lover lie.
Violence is the purpose for these lies. More violence MIGHT intimidate voters, and intimidated voters staying home and not voting at all is the only hope of winning that the fascist GOP has. Because their ideas suck. Their candidates are incompetent lying traitors.
And their supporters are bigoted, brainwashed slime.
Yeah. They're willing to get people killed. For Jesus.
I live in a very diverse area and vote at a public high school, so I'm not that concerned about being intimidated, but I do think we need stronger rules to keep voters safe from intimidation and harassment.
Hopefully all will go well this year, but I would support strengthening voter protections in the voting rights law the Democrats will pass when they recapture Congress.
Paintball anyone? Reps?
If you do experience voter intimidation call the police and the FBI immediately.
If you come across an attempt of voter intimidation call the local police, state police and FBI.
Not for myself anyway. But concerned for others being intimidated. Voting must be facilitated at all levels. Anything less is an attack on our democracy and ourselves.
I avoided it by voting early but I suspect that there will be a lot of right-wing bully tactics happening today.
Glad there are ballot box watchers.
It hasn't happend here but it should be reported to the police if it does happen to you
I choose to vote in person and not depend on drop boxes. Those who do not want to be observed when delivering their own ballot might have something to hide. I believe we need to go back to an election day with in person voting and the counting being done within 24 hours. Those districts not able to count the votes in that time should be suspect. Most other countries (and historically the USA) have a winner certified by morning.
I am very concerned about meeting up with armed individuals outside of the polling stations, as well as obnoxious 'poll watchers' acting illegally inside the polling locations. If any of them harrasses me, they will meet with firm resistance. I will not put up with Nazi-style tactics by Republicans.
Not where I live, but elsewhere, yes.
I voted by mail so I could research the ballot and vote in peace. As a person with a disability, I am glad I live in a state with mail in ballots and early voting.
voter intimidation by these extreme anti american republicans who dont believe in a fair election r trying tp prevent the will of the people they show up with guns and threaten voters so thatt the these republicans can turn our country in to a communist country with out fair elections or womens rights or voting rights these people shoiuld be arrested and given 5 yrs prison time
Not concerned.
NO. One, I am a retired combat veteran. Teo, in western Pennsylvania, we do not have those problems. But in the Philidalipha ' There has been documented proof in elections held in the last 10 years, there have been members of black militant groups that have done that very thing. And you never heard a word about that from Obama or his VP, Biden! How come? It looks like the Democrat Militants do more of that than anyone. I haven't heard of any Republican groups stopping anyone from voting. In fact, in every state, they have made it easy for everyone except illegals to get a government ID for voting. What have the Democrats done except, harvest votes from those that can not cast a vote on their own? From individuals that don't even know what day it is let a long what they are signing.
This fits in with the voter suppression efforts of republicans who will do anything to stop anyone other the republicans from voting
No. Not in Kentucky
Vigilantes at ballot drop off locations!?
Win By Any Means Necessary is clearly the conservative rallying cry.
How is this not voter intimidation and for a judge to condone this behavior is outrageous? I pray these jerks are made to regret this tactic. Don't let them bully you. Vote.
And why Do Republicans Even Bother To Vote?
Really, if you believed elections were rigged, would you vote?
What will republicans say and do if their candidate wins?
If elections are in fact rigged, then their win is also illegitimate.
You can't have it both ways!!!
The fact that republicans continue to vote
proves that they know elections are not rigged.
I'm not concerned for my safety but that GOP voter intimidation will effect the outcome.
long past time for the red and blue states to separate into two countries
This is what Democracy was built on. We should not be acting like Biden, Hilary or any politician that is blatantly lying!! Talk about disinformation?! They are using untruthful scare tactics and getting away with them.
We really need to make sure that people are voting based on the state of the country and what they'd like to see as a result and who is the better candidate to fill those promises.
Only if Stacey Abrims is around.
No one is going to stop me from voting!