Nov 3, 2020 4 min read

With a heated presidential race, a record number of ballots are expected to be cast on Election Day.

Local, county and state law enforcement officials said they will be there to ensure voter intimidation is not an issue for those who choose to go to the polls to do their civic duty.

According to the state attorney general’s website, it is illegal under Pennsylvania law to use any means to intimidate or attempt to intimidate voters either inside or outside of polling locations. The office defines intimidating behavior as words or actions, as well as blocking or attempting to block, by any means, the entrance to a poll.

Washington County District Attorney Gene Vittone has designated a deputy in his office to handle any complaints of intimidation that may arise at the county’s 180 polling locations.

“I’ve already met with elections officials, elected officials, the sheriff and police officers. We’ve been preparing for several months for this,” he said.

Vittone added that he wanted to make sure everything was properly done in addressing voter intimidation as they’ve been working with Attorney General Josh Shapiro at the state level.

In Greene County, Sheriff Marcus Simms said the only mention of potential intimidation he’s heard came out of a county commissioners agenda meeting where some citizens expressed concerns of the possibility of armed people at a polling location.

“We have not received any further credible intelligence confirming this information at this time,” Simms said.

Earlier this month, Waynesburg Councilwoman Lynne Snyder told commissioners she was worried about the possibility of people with weapons patrolling polling places in an attempt to intimidate voters. Her concern was prompted by seeing several people carrying long guns across the street from the county courthouse earlier this year during a Juneteenth event in the borough.

The state’s Election Code does not specifically address firearms or other weapons at polling places, according to joint guidance issued by Shapiro and the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association issued earlier this month. A person who can legally possess a firearm can bring it to a voting precinct, so long as that precinct is not located in a building where firearms are prohibited.

“A person cannot be prohibited from voting if they are merely carrying a firearm while voting,” the guidance noted. “However, if a person uses a firearm to threaten, coerce, intimidate, assault, or commit other acts prohibited by law, they could be removed and charged with voter intimidation or other applicable criminal statutes.”

Suzanne Almeida, interim director of the nonpartisan organization Common Cause Pennsylvania, noted on Wednesday that carrying a firearm is different that brandishing one.

In the latter case, Almeida said, “We would work with proper agencies to get them removed.”

She advised voters who are victims of witness intimidation to alert a poll worker. If a poll worker cannot resolve the situation, the next call would go to law enforcement, and the county election board and county solicitor could also be called upon, she said.

“We want to do what we can to create a positive atmosphere on Election Day,” Almeida said. “We really want Election Day to feel like a celebration of democracy for every voter.”

On Nov. 3, Simms said his office will conduct additional patrols at the county’s 42 polling locations.

“Citizens that feel they are being intimidated should attempt to notify election poll works if they can do so safely,” Simms said, adding if they cannot notify a poll worker, they can call 911, and an officer will respond accordingly.

Almeida said Common Cause Pennsylvania will deploy additional poll monitors in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties, the highest population areas which “have seen issues in the past, and have the highest population of people of color voters.”

The joint guidance from Shapiro and the state’s district attorneys cites four statutes that relate to voter intimidation. The broadest of those includes provisions for criminal charges related to direct or indirect conduct that “can be violent, threatening, fraudulent or even contrivances done to unduly compel someone to vote, not vote, or otherwise interfere with their elective franchise.

“Voter intimidation is not confined to any time or place and can occur outside of Election Day or a polling place.”

In addition to local election officials or police, anyone who believes they’ve witnessed an election-related crime can email Shapiro’s office at voting@attorneygeneral.gov.

Observer-Reporter staff writer Barbara Miller contributed to this report.