Committee for Safe and Secure Elections Releases Law Enforcement Reference Guides for All 50 States and D.C.

Pocket reference guides contain key provisions of each state’s election laws to help officers protect election officials and voters against violence, threats and intimidation.

Media Contact: Cassidy Schwartz

Email: csse@clyde.us

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(August 26, 2024) – The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) today announced the publication of law enforcement quick reference guides for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. CSSE’s pocket-sized guides contain key provisions of each state’s laws that help equip law enforcement officers with the information they need to uphold their jurisdiction’s election operations and protect election officials and voters from violence, threats and intimidation. 

The Committee began producing these quick reference guides in 2022 in response to a growing culture of intimidation against election officials. CSSE’s inaugural Chair Neal Kelley had used similar pocket guides to quickly and accurately determine his legal responsibilities during traffic stops while working as a police officer in Southern California. Kelley went on to serve as Registrar of Voters for Orange County from 2005 to 2022 and recognized an urgent need for comparable resources to help law enforcement officers uphold and enforce election laws. 

“I know first-hand that law enforcement officers and election workers have plenty in common, including the responsibility to make quick decisions in complex situations,” said Kelley, now CSSE Chairman Emeritus. “By making their legal duties digestible and accessible, these guides help both groups properly respond to any number of election-related scenarios.”

Demand for the guides has spiked in 2024 among not only law enforcement agencies, but also state and local election offices. This year, CSSE has distributed more than 25,000 physical copies across the U.S., in addition to the digital versions available online. CSSE member Kathy Boockvar, who previously served as the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, spearheaded the production of these guides, consulting with state and local officials to ensure timeliness and accuracy. 

“The widespread demand for these guides across the country has confirmed that the safety of our elections for election workers and voters alike is, rightfully, top of mind for all of us,” Boockvar noted. “These guides and other resources are available to all and can be instrumental for anyone working to help secure election operations, including law enforcement, election personnel and attorneys.”

“In law enforcement, you never want to be in a tense situation without adequate preparation,” says CSSE member Justin Smith, the former sheriff of Larimer County, Colo. “Our partners in the field have been extremely receptive to these guides because they recognize the need to better understand and plan for security challenges on and around Election Day.”

“It is essential that officers are prepared for any challenges they may face in the field,” said CSSE member Harold Love, retired Captain with the Michigan State Police. “These guides are crucial resources that will assist our local law enforcement in effectively navigating and addressing election-related incidents that may require their attention or involvement.”

In addition to the reference guides, the Committee has made numerous resources available for both law enforcement agencies and election offices nationwide, including a “Five Steps to Safer Elections” roadmap, a first-of-its-kind guide on combating “swatting” attempts, and a new video resource featuring CSSE Chair Paul Penzone, the former Sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz. Committee members also travel the country to lead tabletop exercises (TTXs) that build relationships between law enforcement officers and election officials, and help the two groups better prevent and respond to election-related violence and intimidation.

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About The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections: The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections features cross-partisan experts in election administration and law enforcement who aim to support policies and practices that protect election workers and voters from violence, threats and intimidation. The Committee also works to build relationships and trust between election officials and law enforcement to better equip both to prevent and respond to threats and violence against voters and election workers. For more information about The Committee’s resources and policy principles, please visit safeelections.org.

2024 Law Enforcement Quick Reference Guides:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington 
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming