Panic buttons, bulletproof glass: How US election officials are preparing to stay safe during polls

As election season approaches in the US, authorities are taking extensive measures to ensure both the safety of election workers and the security of the voting and ballot-counting process.

With political violence on the rise, the need for heightened security has become even more critical. Just over the weekend, former President Trump faced a potential assassination attempt, only weeks after another threat against his life.

In Cobb County, an Atlanta suburb set to be a key battleground in the presidential race, the election director recently held a five-hour training session.

However, this wasn’t a typical election training. The session focused on collaboration between election staff and law enforcement, mapping out strategies to ensure the elections run as safely as possible.

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Here’s a deeper dive into their preparations.

Threats, guns & fentanyl

Tate Fall, the election director for Cobb County, felt compelled to take action after one of her poll workers shared a disturbing experience.

During Georgia’s presidential primary in March, the worker was confronted by an agitated voter who was visibly carrying a gun. Though the situation didn’t escalate, it left the poll worker shaken.

“That made it really real for me — that it’s so easy for something to go sideways in life, period, let alone the environment of Georgia and elections,” Fall told AP. “I just can’t have someone being harmed on my conscience.”

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In preparation for Election Day on November 5, local election directors across the country are boosting security measures.

Their fears are far from hypothetical.

Since the 2020 presidential election, election offices and officials have faced harassment and even death threats, primarily from individuals influenced by former President Donald Trump’s claims of widespread election fraud and rigged voting machines.

In the past year alone, a gun was fired at the window of an election office in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Additionally, letters containing white powder, sometimes testing positive for fentanyl, were sent to election offices in five states. Swatting incidents—bogus 911 calls—targeted top election officials in Georgia, Maine, Michigan, and Missouri, putting them in potentially dangerous situations.

“This is one of the things that I have to say is just crazy, outrageous to me — the election threats to workers of both parties and their families, the bullying, the harassment,” said Jen Easterly, director of the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency, during a recent online event.

“These folks, they are not doing it for pay. They’re not doing it for glory. They’re doing it because they believe it’s the right thing to do to defend our democracy.”

What’s different this time?

The US Cybersecurity director revealed that her agency has conducted over 1,000 voluntary physical security assessments for election offices since early 2023.

Election officials have utilised these assessments to identify vulnerabilities and secure funding from local governments for necessary upgrades. Additionally, a 2022 decision by the US Election Assistance Commission allowed federal funds to be used for security enhancements like badge readers, cameras, and protective fencing.

For the upcoming election, Los Angeles County in California and Durham County in North Carolina will have new offices equipped with significant security upgrades.

These improvements include bulletproof glass, security cameras, and badge-access doors. New procedures for handling mail will also be implemented nationwide, with election workers receiving Narcan kits to manage accidental overdoses.

In Durham County, a key feature of the new office is a mail processing room with a separate exhaust system designed to handle potentially hazardous mail substances.

“We have countless reasons why this investment was critical,” Durham County’s election director, Derek Bowens told AP, citing threats to election officials in Michigan and Arizona, as well as suspicious letters sent to offices in several states.

Bowens and others who have worked in elections for years said their jobs have changed significantly. Threats and harassment are one reason why some election officials across the country have been leaving.
In some places, election workers are being trained in de-escalation techniques and how to respond to an active shooter.

“Security to this extent wasn’t on the list before. Now it is,” said Cari-Ann Burgess, the chief election official in Washoe County, Nevada. “We have drills that we work through, we have emergency plans that we have prepared. We are a lot more cautious now than we ever have been.”

In Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, about four hours from where Trump was targeted in July, officials estimate that security now consumes around 40 percent of their time. They work closely with local law enforcement and emergency managers, conducting regular training to address any potential disruptions to voting or ballot counting.

“It’s very volatile, and Luzerne County reflects what is going on across the country,” said County Manager Romilda Crocamo. “It seems that people are very emotional, and sometimes that emotion escalates.”

Panic buttons, canine teams & more

County Manager Romilda Crocamo is considering installing panic buttons for poll managers at about 130 voting locations on Election Day.

While Pennsylvania law prohibits law enforcement from entering polling places, Crocamo and her team are working with local officials to ensure emergency responders with radios are nearby in case of an incident.

Many local officials have increased law enforcement presence at election offices, especially on election night when poll workers transport ballots and other materials. Additional law enforcement is also planned for the period after Election Day, during the vote canvassing and result certification.

In Los Angeles, law enforcement canine teams will scan incoming mail ballots for suspicious substances. This is part of a broader security upgrade involving a new $29 million election office that consolidates operations previously scattered across the county.

Dean Logan, who oversees elections for Los Angeles County, emphasised that security is a top priority. He noted social media posts suggesting methods to damage ballot drop boxes and disrupt mail voting, highlighting the importance of ensuring these disruptions do not occur. The office will feature round-the-clock security and additional staffing from the county sheriff’s department for the November election.

“It’s important to me that we can tell voters they don’t have to be worried about the security of their ballots," Logan said. “We’ve taken steps to keep them safe.”

Election officials are working to balance security with maintaining welcoming polling places and providing access to ensure public trust in the process.

In Michigan, four years ago, a large crowd of Trump supporters created chaos outside Detroit’s ballot counting operation, demanding to “Stop the count!” and banging on windows. This year, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey has enhanced preparations with more cameras, armed security, and bulletproof glass. Observers will now be screened by security before entering the large room used for counting ballots at the city’s convention center.

“My biggest concern was to protect the staff and the process,” Winfrey said. “And in doing so, our building — it may look the same, but it’s not the same.”

With input from AP