Bomb Threats in Election Settings: A Law Enforcement Briefing

Bomb threats that target polling places and election facilities present a unique challenge for law enforcement: protecting public safety while minimizing disruption for Americans’ ability to vote.

The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) developed the Bomb Threats in Election Settings: A Law Enforcement Briefing to help local law enforcement agencies and local election officials prepare for, and respond to, bomb threats and hoaxes involving polling places, election offices, tabulation centers, and other election facilities. The resource focuses specifically on the operational considerations law enforcement may encounter in an election setting.

The resource builds on CSSE’s Five Steps to Safer Elections guide and outlines practical steps election officials and law enforcement can take together before an incident occurs. It addresses establishing evacuation authority and decision criteria, preparing for continuity of voting, identifying voting locations in dispatch systems, planning for coordinated incident response, and practicing those plans through tabletop exercises.

With hundreds of bomb threats targeting election locations during the 2024 election cycle, preparation and coordination remain essential. As communities prepare for upcoming elections, this resource can help law enforcement and election officials build the relationships, protocols, and response plans needed to protect voters, election workers, and the voting process.