Guilford County sheriff says that while they have received some threats, polls are safe and secure ahead of Election Day

Featured photo: Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers addresses election security concerns ahead of Election Day on Nov. 4. (screenshot)

On Monday afternoon, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers held a brief press conference to address election security and threats that the department has received in the last few weeks.

According to Rogers, who has held the seat since first being elected into office in 2018, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office has received “about six” threats total this election season. Rogers said that the threats have come from both inside and outside of the county. He said that he does not believe that the threats are serious and that they are “noncredible.”

The department has not made any arrests with regards to the threats.

“Never been an issue in the past,” Rogers said during the press conference. “This is my first time experiencing any nonsense, I would say.”

Rogers told reporters that each threat is being taken seriously and is under investigation by the department. No additional information about the threats was disclosed by the department.

Rogers noted that while sheriff’s deputies will not be onsite at polling places or at the county board of elections tomorrow, that they will be nearby like any other day to protect people’s rights to access the ballot.

“As your sheriff of Guilford County…we are here to serve and protect this great county,” Rogers said. “Our goal is to make sure that you do get a chance go out and exercise your right to vote. Don’t be held back by intimidation or threats.”

Election threats elsewhere

According to reporting by ABC News, the FBI has received more than 2,000 threats to election workers and “opened at least 100 investigations into these unlawful actions” as of April. More than 20 people have been charged in relation to the threats.

In the Triangle, INDY Week recently reported that Republican state representative Erin Paré and her husband Wayne Paré had been reported for intimidating voters this year and in past elections.

In other places across the country, county and state board of elections have increased their security ahead of Tuesday.

And at the US Capitol where a mob of insurrectionists broke barriers and stormed the building on Jan. 6, 2021, new precautions were put in place as eight-foot-high metal fences were erected around the perimeter.

What to do if you experience voter intimidation

As noted in state law, intimidating any voter is a crime.

If at any time a voter feels harassed or intimidated at a polling place, the voter should notify an election official immediately, according to the state board of elections.

“The chief judge and judges may call upon the sheriff, the police, or other officers to aid them in maintaining order,” the state’s website notes. “They may order the arrest of any person violating any provision of the election laws, but such arrest shall not prevent the person from registering or voting if they are entitled to do so.”

Here are some examples of voter intimidation:

• Disrupting, following or interrogating voters.
• Aggressively questioning voters about their citizenship, criminal record or other qualifications to vote.
• Physically blocking polling places.
• Using threatening language in or near a polling place.

In addition to alerting election officials, voters can also call the Election Protection Hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (866-687-8683) or or 1-888-VE-Y-VOTA (en Español).

Voters can also call the U.S. Department of Justice Voting Rights Hotline: 800-253-3931; TTY line 877-267-8971.

If you or someone you know encounters voter intimidation on Election Day, you can send a tip to [email protected] (for Guilford County) and [email protected] (for Forsyth County).