Statement From Vice Chair Tina Barton and Sheriff Justin Smith on Georgia’s New Election Security Training for Police

The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections (CSSE) would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all Georgia Peace Officer Standards & Training Council (POST) members and staff, including CSSE’s own Chris Harvey, for making Georgia the first state in the nation to mandate election security training for new police officers. We have witnessed an alarming increase in threats toward election workers in recent years, so it has never been more important for law enforcement to practice effective communication with their local election offices and to understand their legal obligations around elections.

CSSE applauds Georgia’s common-sense effort to ensure law enforcement officers have the information they need to better protect voters and election officials, prevent intimidation, and ensure safe and secure elections. We hope Georgia’s approach can serve as a model for other states, and CSSE remains available as a resource to law enforcement agencies interested in making election security a component of their training programs.