'Panic buttons, bulletproof glass': How US is preparing for polls
Election officials across the United States are beefing up their security measures ahead of the November 5 presidential race. The enhanced security features include panic buttons connecting poll managers to local 911 dispatchers and a law enforcement presence at early voting locations. In Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb where votes will be fiercely contested, the election director recently organized a five-hour training session.
Georgia's Cobb County leads in election security measures
It also brought together election officials and law enforcement to strategize on how to keep workers safe while also ensuring the voting and ballot-counting processes were secure. The decision to bolster security was influenced by an incident in Cobb County, Georgia, where a poll worker was confronted by an armed voter during the state's presidential primary. "That made it really real for me—that it's so easy for something to go sideways in life," said Tate Fall, Cobb County's election director.
Rising threats of political violence nationwide
In the past year alone, a gun was fired at a window of the Cuyahoga County, Ohio, election office, and bogus 911 calls were made to the homes of top state election officials. Additionally, election offices received letters filled with a white powder that tested positive for fentanyl in some cases. Not to mention, presidential candidate Donald Trump was the target of a possible murder attempt over the weekend, only nine weeks after another threat to his life.
Federal agencies and local governments support security upgrades
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency has conducted over 1,000 voluntary physical security assessments for election offices since 2023. These assessments help election officials identify gaps and request funds from local governments for upgrades. A decision by the US Election Assistance Commission in 2022 also allowed certain federal money to be used toward security features such as badge readers, cameras, and protective fencing.
Election offices nationwide implement new security measures
Los Angeles County, California and Durham County, North Carolina will have new offices with significant security upgrades for this year's election. These include bulletproof glass, security cameras and doors that open only with badges. Election workers across the country will also have new procedures for handling mail, including kits of Narcan used for accidental overdoses.
Role of canine teams
A mail processing room with a separate exhaust system to control potentially hazardous compounds sent in the mail will be a key feature of the new Durham County office. In Los Angeles, law enforcement canine teams will assist in scanning incoming mail ballots for suspicious substances. It is part of a revised strategy that includes a new $29 million election headquarters that consolidates operations that were previously spread around the county.
