The Department of Justice has taken steps to combat supposed threats against election workers by deploying District Election Officers across the country.
The Election Threats Task Force, originally formed in 2021, was mobilized again ahead of the November election as the DOJ responds to what they call a rise in threats. Attorney General Merrick Garland warned that anyone making threats against election officials will face prosecution.
The task force, spearheaded by Garland and Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, was first formed to address what the DOJ described as an unprecedented spike in threats against local officials. U.S. attorney’s offices in states like Delaware and Pennsylvania have already appointed officials to lead efforts in safeguarding elections. Delaware’s U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss, who appointed Shamoor Anis as DEO, emphasized that “election officials must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats.”
The DOJ’s Election Day Program is part of a broader effort to maintain public trust in the electoral process. The program allows citizens to report potential violations of federal election laws, while the task force will continue to address violent threats and election fraud complaints.
Garland has made clear that those who threaten election workers will face serious consequences. Since the task force’s launch, about two dozen individuals have been charged in connection to such threats.
