UNDERSTANDING THE GROWING THREAT OF ARMED VOTER INTIMIDATION
We can take sensible action to guard against threats of armed voter intimidation.
The risk of armed intimidators at the polls is not an abstract concern — it is an unfortunate reality that is being perpetuated by leaders who are emboldening, rather than denouncing this type of behavior, and it must be thoughtfully and firmly addressed immediately to prevent further violence and voter suppression. Especially at a time when America is experiencing political violence, unchecked guns at polling places can have fatal consequences. In recent years, firearms carried by private citizens at protests led to deadly outcomes in Kenosha, Denver, Portland, Seattle, Louisville, and more.
While intimidation at polling places is not a uniquely American problem, the rise in U.S. gun ownership paired with growing ideological divides is aided by self-described “militia” groups across the country. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen heavily armed “militias” brandishing firearms in and around statehouses, opposing public health orders, and threatening those participating in demonstrations against police violence.
These armed individuals pose a palpable threat to our nation’s democracy. On January 6th, 2021, the United States Capitol experienced a shocking attack in which extremists stormed the building and threatened the lives of our national legislators with the express intent of undermining our democracy. In the aftermath of this insurrection, the FBI released a warning that militias were planning armed attacks on all 50 state capitol buildings throughout inauguration week in an attempt to foment violence. The threat of armed violence always existed, but increasingly extremist political rhetoric is pushing individuals to take up arms in our democratic spaces.
We’re seeing the effects of January 6th galvanize individuals across the country. In 2023, a disgruntled citizen illegally brought a handgun into the Wisconsin State Capitol and demanded an audience with the Governor. After his arrest, he posted bail and returned that night with an assault rifle.
These instances of radicalization are neither arbitrary nor a far-off threat; in fact, a 2023 Threat Assessment by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identifying the “most direct, pressing threats to our Homeland during the next year” concluded that “our electoral processes remain an attractive target for many adversaries,” and that there is an expectation that “many of them will seek to influence or interfere with the 2024 election.”
Threats of intimidation at polling places have affected the people helping facilitate our nation’s right to vote; a 2023 Brennan Center poll of election officials across the country found that one in three had experienced threats, harassment, or abuse because of their job, and nearly half were concerned about the safety of their colleagues going forward. And we must recognize that false claims about the 2020 election blamed Trump’s loss on cities with large populations of color, such as Atlanta, Detroit, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, and Phoenix. Many of the related threats targeted election officials in those areas and contained racist or antisemitic language.