How Philadelphia-area officials are ramping up election security
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Election officials in the Philadelphia region are tweaking their safety measures to protect election workers and ballots this year.
Why it matters: Concerns about voter intimidation and violence are top of mind for many, while election officials themselves are increasingly the targets of threats and harassment.
The big picture: Jurisdictions across the U.S. are taking unprecedented steps to enhance security, including installing bulletproof glass and panic buttons at the polls.
- Philly's changes, by contrast, aren't as drastic.
Here's what we know about new security measures around the area:
Philly
Officials will process ballots at a somewhat remote building in the Northeast section of the city that's equipped with new fencing and a new guardhouse.
- The building isn't as accessible as the Pennsylvania Convention Center, which was used during the 2020 general election.
- Private security, sheriff's deputies and police will guard the facility, deputy city commissioner Nick Custodio tells Axios.
DelCo
Election officials are providing poll workers with de-escalation training.
- They're also working more closely with law enforcement, James Allen, director of elections, tells Axios.
Chester County
Poll workers received security and situational awareness training.
- And the county's Department of Emergency Services will oversee an incident command center on Election Day.
Montgomery County
County officials have conducted simulations of "off the wall" scenarios that could arise on Election Day to prepare poll workers for the unexpected, Commissioner Neil Makhija tells Axios.
- They started a threat assessment group and tip line after a man shot up the local Democratic committee's office in January 2021.
Bucks County
Officials had Homeland Security conduct a threat assessment after this year's primary, but it didn't lead to new security measures, Commissioner Bob Harvie tells Axios.
Threat level: Officials are already on edge.
- A Philly man was charged this week with threatening to kill and skin alive a state political party employee who was recruiting poll watchers for Election Day.
- Makhija, who chairs Montgomery County's Board of Elections, says he's been the subject of credible threats this year.
Friction point: Because of a state law that requires law enforcement officers to remain more than 100 feet from a polling center, counties rely on constables as a first line of defense.
- That can create complications in Pennsylvania's denser counties.
- Harvie says there aren't enough constables to staff each of Bucks' 203 polling locations, so police are prepared to respond to emergencies.
The bottom line: It'll likely take several days to count all ballots in Pennsylvania. But officials hope this year will be quicker than 2020 because they're no longer under pandemic-related restrictions.