The publication also specified that agencies always prepare for elections, including “potential cases of violence”.
The US Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are preparing for a possible public disorder on 3 November, when the country’s general elections will be held. This was reported by The Washington Post on Friday, citing sources.
According to the Washington Post, the DOJ and FBI plan to place officials at the command centre at the Bureau’s headquarters to coordinate action in the event of any unrest or other problems related to voting. This includes officials working in the areas of civil rights and national security, among others. They will monitor information on major electoral incidents, reports of voter fraud or intimidation, and assess potential cyberthreats to electoral infrastructure.
“Concerns have been raised about the possibility of public disorder, and these concerns have been raised on both sides for various reasons. We are therefore paying particular attention to this [development] option”, – a law enforcement source told The Washington Post.
He noted that the DOJ and FBI always prepare for elections, including “potential [incidents of] violence”. However, according to the source, the issue is being discussed particularly actively this year due to the unique nature of the upcoming elections, which will be held in the context of the pandemic, fears of possible fraud, as well as riots and protests against racial inequality and disproportionate use of force by police, which began in the United States at the end of May.
The FBI, for its part, told the newspaper that the bureau, as in previous years, is “committed to protecting the rights of Americans to a fair election”. “Of course, our preparations for [the elections] in 2020 take into account the current climate in the country <…> As always, the FBI is obliged to take many potential scenarios into account,” the agency’s statement says.
The next general elections in the USA will be held on November 3. It will elect a president and vice president, all 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the U.S. Senate, as well as governors of 13 states and territories.