Justin Sullivan | Getty Images A pair of armed and masked men in plainclothes stood guard at the polls in Mesa, Ariz., on Oct. 21, as people began voting early in the 2022 midterm elections. They belonged to an election watchdog group called Clean Elections USA, which echoes former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. The group says it is monitoring early voting in select counties for signs of fraud. But his presence caused concern among Maricopa County voters, who saw these “drop box watchers” as a blatant attempt at voter intimidation. “Uninformed vigilantes outside Maricopa County drop boxes do not increase election integrity. Instead, they lead to complaints of voter intimidation,” Maricopa County elections officials Bill Gates and Stephen Richer said in a joint statement the next day. Two armed men in plain clothes were at the Mesa polling station. Source: Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and Maricopa County A Trump-appointed U.S. District Court judge, Michael Liburdi, ordered Clean Elections USA members to stay at least 75 feet away from drop boxes and not follow or talk to voters. They were also told they could not openly carry weapons. The decision was in response to a temporary restraining order filed by two voter advocacy groups that said poll watchers were trying to “intimidate and intimidate legitimate Arizona voters.” “We are deeply concerned about the safety of individuals who are exercising their constitutional right to vote and who are lawfully casting their early ballot at a poll,” Gates and Richer said. While Arizona has seen many reports of voter intimidation, the state is certainly not alone. Fears of voter intimidation and suppression have been brewing nationally since the 2020 presidential election, when Trump refused to accept defeat and accused several states of voter fraud. The escalating rhetoric has raised tensions in Tuesday’s midterms. Two in five US voters said they were concerned about threats of violence or voter intimidation at the polls, according to a new Reuters/Ipso poll. The same misinformation about election fraud that sparked the riot on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021 is the same misinformation that “threatens political violence associated with our elections,” Mary McCord, the executive director of the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection and former federal prosecutor, said in an interview with PBS Newshour: “And by political violence, I don’t just mean physical violence. I mean intimidation, voter intimidation, intimidation and threats and harassment against our election workers, aggressive recruitment of poll watchers by groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers to be really power of intimidation at the polls and other types of truly undemocratic processes driven, again, by the same misinformation and lies about the 2020 election,” McCord said. President Joe Biden noted the rise in political violence in a speech Wednesday night, urging voters to go to the polls next week to help preserve democracy. “There is an alarming increase in the number of people in this country who condone political violence or are simply silent,” Biden said. “We know in our bones that democracy is at risk, but we also know this: It’s up to us to preserve our democracy.” His remarks also came after the violent attack on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband, Paul, at their home in San Francisco. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, said the country is facing an “environment of fascism.” “This kind of intimidation at the polls brings us to Jim Crow,” Ocasio-Cortez said in an Oct. 28 interview on MSNBC’s “All In With Chris Hayes.” “It brings us back and reminds us of a very unique form of American apartheid that is not that old.” Two armed men in plain clothes were at the Mesa polling station. Source: Maricopa County Recorder’s Office and Maricopa County With concerns about political violence and voter suppression at a high level, federal agencies and nonprofits are taking the threat to election integrity with increased seriousness. The Justice Department has stepped up efforts in recent weeks to protect voters and election workers. The agency launched an election threat task force in July 2021 to ensure voters are safe at the polls and investigate intimidation of election workers. In early October, the FBI warned voters of potential election crimes ahead of the midterms, emphasizing its efforts to educate voters about their rights and encouraging them to report violations. Election crimes fall into three broad categories, according to the FBI: voting or voter fraud, campaign finance violations, and civil rights violations, including voter suppression or voter intimidation. The Justice Department underscored its tough stance against voter intimidation. “The Department of Justice has an obligation to guarantee a free and fair vote by all who are qualified to vote and will not allow voters to be intimidated,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said during an Oct. 24 press briefing. The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit law and public policy foundation, has identified 10 states that are at high risk of disruption due to the volume of false claims and anti-voter activity. They are Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Wisconsin. Many states have enacted additional safeguards to help ease concerns in the run-up to and on Election Day. In New York, Attorney General Letitia James issued voter protection directives to local boards of elections and law enforcement. The 15-page guide outlines the constitutional and legal protections afforded to voters, as well as what is and isn’t allowed at polling stations. James also created a statewide election protection hotline for voters. “Voting is a fundamental right and an integral part of the sanctity of our democracy, and I encourage anyone who encounters obstacles to contact my office. I will not allow anyone to threaten the right to vote in New York State,” James said in a statement. Similarly, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin created a voter protection initiative to identify and address any voting rights or civil rights violations during early voting and at the polls “to ensure that every eligible voter can vote and that any attempts to interfere in the voting process will be held accountable to the extent of the law.” Nonpartisan voter protection hotlines are also available in Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina and Montana, in addition to hotlines operated by the American Civil Liberties Union at both the state and national levels. Voters on Election Day can call local election offices to report any complaints. “We always hope and expect that elections will run smoothly and that voters will not experience problems. However, we know that problems do arise and we are on hand to help voters resolve these issues and make sure their voices are heard.” ACLU of West Virginia Advocacy Director Eli Baumwell said in a statement.
