Veterans of the policing profession recall Election Day in decades past largely as an opportunity to help out in small ways, like redirecting traffic. Over the past several years, however, elections have come to mean something quite different for law enforcement agencies. In an increasingly polarized political environment, elections have become flashpoints for harassment, intimidation, disruption, and even acts of violence. As a result, law enforcement now has a significantly greater—and more complex—mission in ensuring the public’s safety during election season.

For democracy to function, voting must be safe and peaceful, and election officials must be able to do their jobs without fear or harassment. This is true in jurisdictions large and small, urban and rural, and of all political leanings. For law enforcement, the responsibility to protect public safety during elections is not about politics; it is about community safety.

The work of protecting elections spans a more extensive period than Election Day itself. Elections now cover an entire season: In many places, they begin weeks before Election Day and end weeks after, when counting and certification are complete. In recent election cycles, the threat environment has become more serious, too. Parts of the election process need closer protection than in years past, and law enforcement must constantly strike the balance between protecting public safety and safeguarding constitutional rights.

Given the gravity and stakes of this mission set, the National Policing Institute (NPI), 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP), and the States United Democracy Center (SUDC) convened law enforcement leaders from across the country between October 2023 and February 2024 to help identify challenges and effective approaches to protecting public safety during elections. The convenings brought together more than 60 law enforcement leaders from local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies across 11 states and the District of Columbia, both in person and virtually.

To start the day’s conversations at each convening, participants were asked: “When you’re thinking about protecting public safety during the 2024 election cycle, what keeps you up at night?”

It was a question with many possible answers, each with implications for training, tactics, planning, information-gathering, communications, partnerships with other law enforcement agencies, and the wellness of officers and staff. The leaders around the table—police chiefs, sheriffs, members of agency command staff, and other federal and statewide law enforcement leaders—related lessons from past election cycles and other major public safety events. They spoke of how the challenges of election season have evolved and what may lie ahead. They raised questions, identified needs, and shared solutions and strategies that resonated with their colleagues.

An essential theme emerged: Law enforcement agencies already have many of the policies, practices, and solutions they need to meet this moment. In general, agencies do not need to develop approaches from scratch; they can adapt existing practices to the election context. This adaptation process is continuous, particularly as the country grapples with a new era of political polarization and distrust in public institutions.

The report resulting from these convenings, “Policing in a Time of Elections,” synthesizes the findings of these peer-to-peer discussions and incorporates research and other promising practices to create actionable guidance for jurisdictions. The findings are broken into seven short modules by topic:

• Section 1: Training Officers to Successfully Protect Elections
• Section 2: Interagency Collaboration and Mutual Aid
• Section 3: Conflict Management and De-escalation
• Section 4: Communication and Messaging
• Section 5: Demonstration Management
• Section 6: Tactical Considerations for Election Safety
• Section 7: Officer and Staff Wellness During Election Season

Law enforcement leaders will already be intimately familiar with these topics, but they may not yet be familiar with adapting them for election season. These strategies are not one-size-fits-all; on the contrary, the convenings illustrated how both election administration and policing vary widely across regions and localities. Both are shaped by state law, local ordinances, local procedures, and community expectations.

This report is also not intended to serve as an exhaustive guide to navigating public safety and elections. Nonetheless, by spotlighting proven strategies for applying trusted policing practices to this unique election climate, the report aims to offer law enforcement leaders an opportunity to reflect on how best to provide public safety in their communities during election season.

Law enforcement leaders are encouraged to work closely with their local, state, and county officials—especially election officials—as election season draws closer. Now, more than ever, a multidisciplinary response is critical to ensuring safe and secure elections.

And so, while it’s true that there’s no one-size-fits-all in policing, the in-depth peer-to-peer learning reflected in this report is sure to help law enforcement leaders across the country protect and serve their communities during election season.

Edward Medrano
Senior Advisor for Public Safety and Elections
States United Democracy Center

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Edward Medrano is a Senior Advisor for Public Safety and Elections at the States United Democracy Center. Medrano, a retired police chief, has more than thirty years of law enforcement experience, including serving as the Chief of the Division of Law Enforcement for the California Department of Justice.

Read Policing in a Time of Elections.

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