On November 14, 2022, in the US midterm elections held in Phoenix, Arizona, USA, Senator Adrian Fontes (Democrat, Arizona) declared victory over Republican candidate Mark Finchem, who is running for Arizona Secretary of State.
Jim Urquhart | Reuters
Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has called the threats against the country’s election officials “domestic terrorism.”
“One of the ways I’ve looked at this issue and addressed it is to tell a very hard truth: any threat against a United States election official is domestic terrorism,” Fontes said in an interview Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” He defined terrorism as “intimidation or violence that seeks a political outcome.” “This is what it is,” Fontes said.
His remarks came after local election officials expressed concerns about safety As the battle for the White House intensifies heading into November.
be report A report released earlier this month by the Brennan Center for Justice found that 38% of local election officials nationwide have experienced “threats, harassment or abuse” while performing their jobs, and more than half are concerned about the safety of their colleagues.
An elections official carries ballot boxes to a voting center at San Francisco City Hall during the Super Tuesday primary election in San Francisco, California, USA, on March 5, 2024.
Lauren Elliott | Reuters
The report also found that local election officials have worked hard to ensure elections are safe and secure since the last election, with more than 90 percent of local election officials reporting they have taken steps to enhance election security, such as participating in security training and updating polling place emergency response plans and election technology.
Similarly, Fontes said he believes the U.S. Department of Justice is “strengthening” efforts to counter these threats by “initiating prosecutions.”
In March, the Department of Justice Dozens of threats investigated Charges have also been filed against election officials, with 20 indicted so far, 13 of whom have already been convicted.
“We are working with law enforcement agencies across the country to begin to seriously address these issues,” he said. “It’s not too late, but we need to face up to the reality of where we are.”
