WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chairwoman of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee with oversight over federal elections, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led 20 of their colleagues in urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to notify state and local law enforcement of rising threats against election workers and to highlight the federal resources available to election officials for reporting and mitigating threats. This letter follows Klobuchar and Durbin’s previous letter calling on the Department of Justice to take additional action to protect election workers from threats to their safety.

“We write to express our continued concern about the alarming rise in threats against election workers and to request that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) take steps to increase awareness of this disturbing trend among local law enforcement,” the senators wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and FBI Director Christopher Wray. “According to recently released studies, nearly one in three election workers have reported that they feel unsafe because of their job, approximately one in six have received threats of violence, and nearly one in three know at least one colleague who quit their job out of concern for their safety.  The onslaught of threats against election workers is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about state and local governments’ ability to recruit and retain election workers needed to administer future elections.”

“Based on our discussions with election officials, we request that DHS and FBI consider issuing a joint Public Service Announcement (PSA) and distributing it to local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are aware of both the recent increase in these threats against election officials and federal resources for reporting and countering them,” the senators continued. “With the 2022 election cycle underway and the November general election quickly approaching, it is vital that election workers and law enforcement at all levels understand the federal support and resources available to them to protect themselves and our democracy.”

In addition to Klobuchar and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD).

Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration with oversight over the administration of federal elections, Klobuchar has long championed protecting the safety of election workers. 

Klobuchar and Senate Rules Committee Ranking Member Roy Blunt (R-MO) led successful efforts to call on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to expand the use of federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding to protect election workers and officials against threats. 

In April, Klobuchar and Blunt also requested an update on the EAC’s efforts to support state and local election officials with administering the 2022 midterm elections, including protecting election workers against threats. 

Last October, Klobuchar held a Rules Committee hearing on increasing threats directed at election officials and the ability of states and local governments to retain election officials and recruit workers to administer future elections.

Last August, Klobuchar and Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) introduced legislation to prevent election subversion and protect election administrators.

Last June, Klobuchar and Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) led bicameral legislation to prevent local election officials from being removed without cause while protecting the safety and security of election workers and volunteers. U.S. Representatives John Sarbanes (D-MD), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), Nikema Williams (D-GA), and Colin Allred (D-TX) introduced companion legislation in the House.

As Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee with oversight over the Department of Justice, Durbin has shepherded voting rights legislation, including the bipartisan John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which contains new protections for election workers and also ensures election workers can tabulate votes free from wrongful interference. He has also encouraged the Department to combat the growing threat of political violence stemming from false attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 elections, including against election workers.

The full text of the letter is available HERE and below:

Dear Secretary Mayorkas and Director Wray:

We write to express our continued concern about the alarming rise in threats against election workers and to request that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) take steps to increase awareness of this disturbing trend among local law enforcement.

According to recently released studies, nearly one in three election workers have reported that they feel unsafe because of their job, approximately one in six have received threats of violence, and nearly one in three know at least one colleague who quit their job out of concern for their safety.  The onslaught of threats against election workers is unacceptable and raises serious concerns about state and local governments’ ability to recruit and retain election workers needed to administer future elections. In fact, one study released earlier last month found that one in five election officials are unlikely to continue to serve until the 2024 election. 

Federal agencies have taken important steps to address these threats, including the Department of Justice (DOJ) establishing the Election Threats Task Force in coordination with the FBI, but more must be done. It is critical that election workers are familiar with available federal resources and that federal and local law enforcement understand the scope and severity of the threats election officials are facing so that they can respond effectively and promptly.

We have heard that many election workers are not aware of federal resources to help them address these threats, and a study from March 2022 indicated that a majority of election workers are unfamiliar with the Task Force’s work. Additionally, we have heard that in many cases when election officials report threats, local law enforcement agencies treat them as isolated incidents, instead of as part of a growing nationwide trend. 

Based on our discussions with election officials, we request that DHS and FBI consider issuing a joint Public Service Announcement (PSA) and distributing it to local law enforcement agencies to ensure that they are aware of both the recent increase in these threats against election officials and federal resources for reporting and countering them. A PSA could provide important information, including an overview of the threat landscape, recommendations to mitigate the threat, instructions for reporting threats, and available federal resources – similar to the September 2020 PSA warning that the FBI issued with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency about cybercriminals and disinformation likely to target election results.  We also ask that DHS’s Office for State and Local Law Enforcement and the FBI consider making similar resources for local law enforcement agencies and field offices available online.

With the 2022 election cycle underway and the November general election quickly approaching, it is vital that election workers and law enforcement at all levels understand the federal support and resources available to them to protect themselves and our democracy. We appreciate the support DHS provides to state and local election officials and the work the FBI has done with DOJ’s Election Threats Task Force, and we look forward to continuing to work with federal agencies to ensure the safety of election officials and workers across the country. 

Thank you for your attention to this serious matter.

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