Opinion: Barton, Love: Election officials deserve safety

October 12, 2022 – CSSE Members Tina Barton and Harold Love penned an op-ed in the Detroit News examining the challenges election officials face and promoting the solutions crafted by the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections. They write:

The past two years have brought many challenges for election officials, including death threats, verbal assaults, intimidation and scare tactics. Many have found themselves in situations they have never been in before — having conversations about personal safety with their families and law enforcement that they never expected. We want to make sure that others do not have to go through what our colleagues did, and to prevent future threats and harassment.

The committee has developed a five-step process that election officials and law enforcement can follow to better prepare for elections. Election officials and law enforcement should meet; share their situational knowledge, agree on a vision for establishing order around election spaces and the safety of the people working and voting; plan for a variety of possible disturbance scenarios; and practice their responses ahead of each election.

Read their piece here.