U.S. intelligence agencies have reported that domestic extremists are considering ways to disrupt the upcoming election.
The Department of Homeland Security has alerted battleground states to potential domestic threats, as revealed through a series of memos obtained via public records requests.
As far as we—or the public—know, the governor's office and the National Guard are treating this as a routine operation similar to past elections, but there may be more to the story.
Fred Lokken stated, "This is also based on an alert shared with the seven battleground states indicating a possible coordinated effort to disrupt those elections, making this an identifiable, verifiable threat."
However, the governor and the National Guard are currently preparing for what they consider a routine operation.
Captain Emerson Marcus commented, "Emotions run high during an election, but they are similarly heightened when you have 350,000 people celebrating on the strip in Las Vegas. So, we’re not treating this any differently than any other occasion where we're activated to support local law enforcement."
An important aspect of this situation is that the U.S. Constitution prohibits the federal military from responding to domestic threats, placing the responsibility on state governors to address any such threats.
This law dates back to the Reconstruction Era, when the federal government granted southern republican governors the authority to protect black voters at the ballot box.
Jacod Doorman explained, "The Posse Comitatus Act bars the military from domestic peacekeeping, which is why the National Guard was created."
The federal government has shared an alert with battleground state governors, particularly concerning poll workers and polling locations in those states.
Today, Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar emphasized the legislative efforts he and Governor Lombardo have undertaken to safeguard poll workers in the upcoming election.
Aguilar stated, "Early in the last legislative session, we passed the Election Protector Bill, which made it a felony to harass election workers. This bill has significantly contributed to the calm we need in polling locations and for election workers. Yes, there are some issues, but they are not on the same level as what occurred in 2020."
**GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT**
"After consulting with stakeholders across the state, I have decided that a precautionary activation of the National Guard is appropriate at this time. However, we do not expect that these personnel will need to be deployed.
To ensure security, local law enforcement will be present at polling locations. Anyone feeling threatened at these locations is urged to call 911 immediately."
