Pennsylvania Launches Hotline For Voters and Election Workers to Report Threats
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced the launch of a new election hotline for voters and election workers to report threats of physical violence.
Shapiro explained last week that following the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, his administration has taken measures to reduce election-related threats.
“Political violence has no place in Pennsylvania – the birthplace of American democracy – nor anywhere else across this country,” Shapiro said in a statement. “While individuals may have profound disagreements and differences about our politics, the way we address those disagreements in this country must be peaceful, through the political process.”
Pennsylvanians can call the new election hotline, run by the Department of State (DOS), at 1-877-VOTESPA to report voter intimidation, election fraud, or other election crimes. People can also file an election complaint online.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt (R) urged anyone involved in the electoral process — election directors, candidates, poll workers, registered voters, etc — to report threats of violence to DOS and law enforcement immediately.
“Threats of physical violence should always be taken seriously, and law enforcement personnel stand ready to investigate such threats,” Schmidt said in the statement. “Then, law enforcement can do their job so our election workers can get back to doing their job of running safe, secure, and fair elections.”
Colonel Christopher Paris, State Police commissioner, said in the statement that as “election season approaches, the Pennsylvania State Police’s top priority is ensuring all residents of Pennsylvania feel safe in their communities.”
Threats to election workers spiked during the 2020 and 2022 elections. A recent Brennan Center Survey that polled local election officials across the country found that 38% of election workers report experiencing threats, harassment or abuse. Also, 70% of them said they believe threats have increased since 2020.
This trend of increased threats extends to candidates as well. More than 40% of state legislators experienced threats or attacks in the past three years, and more than 18% experienced them within the past year and a half, according to a January report from the Brennan Center for Justice.
Because of this, officials on the federal level have taken action as well.
Earlier this month, Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) urged the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI to ensure they are prepared to fight threats against election workers in the 2024 primary and general elections.
Also, in 2021 the DOJ launched an Election Threats Task Force, and U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland delivered remarks about it in May, saying the department has secured prison sentences for numerous individuals who threatened election officials.
As November approaches, Shapiro has been the only governor to introduce a hotline solely dedicated to reporting election threats, so voters in other states will have to wait and see if their governors will follow suit.