Resources are available to help state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus (SLTTC) law enforcement better address the threats posed during elections to polling places and election workers. This website is not meant to serve as an exhaustive list of election security resources for law enforcement but rather help provide our SLTTC law enforcement partners with the knowledge that may be relevant as they make decisions in securing the elections held in their communities. This webpage summarizes Department of Homeland Security (DHS) resources, as well as those available from the Department of Justice.
Resources:
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Risk Mitigation Guidance Documents
- Swatting Guidance for Election Workers and Law Enforcement: Developed in partnership among CISA, DHS partners, and the FBI, this resource offers insights into swatting, its risks to election workers, and strategies for prevention and response.
- Physical Security of Voting Locations and Election Facilities: This general guide provides resources and actionable steps to connect, plan, train, and report that election officials should consider to improve their physical security posture and enhance resilience of election operations in their jurisdiction.
- Interagency Security Resource for the Election Sector: Developed in partnership with the FBI, this document offers a summary of resources available across the federal government to assist SLTT election officials and their private sector partners in responding to threats to personnel, and guidance on assessing and mitigating risks to their physical assets.
- CISA Insights: Mitigating the Impacts of Doxing on Critical Infrastructure: This product provides information, guidance, and resources to critical infrastructure owners and operators, security professionals, and the general public, that can help protect against the threat of Doxing.
- CISA Election Infrastructure Insider Threat Mitigation Guide: This resource offers election stakeholders guidance on understanding and mitigating the risk of insider threats to elections. This guide defines insider threats, highlights the risks relevant to elections, and offers guidance for establishing an insider threat mitigation program that includes both proactive and reactive measures against potential threats.
Trainings & Exercises
- SLTT and Campus Law Enforcement Discussion Based Exercise Starter Kit: Exercises are a key component of preparedness. They provide the participants with the opportunity to shape planning, assess and validate capabilities, and address areas for improvement. Developed in partnership with FEMA and CISA, the DHS Office for State and Local Law Enforcement is proud to offer the “Election Security: SLTT and Campus Law Enforcement Discussion Based Exercise” Exercise Starter Kit (ESK). This is a modular and scalable toolkit to assist your jurisdiction in preparing to provide law enforcement support to your local elections. If you are interested in receiving the ESK, please reach out to the OSLLE@hq.dhs.gov.
- CISA Election Security Trainings Exercises Flyer: This flyer provides information on CISA's cyber and physical trainings and exercise services to enhance security and resilience of election infrastructure. The no-cost trainings typically run 30-90 minutes each and are available both in-person and virtually on topics such as election security best practices to build trust, ransomware, and phishing.
- CISA Active Shooter Preparedness: This is a link to the CISA Active Shooter Preparedness page, which contains several different resources that can help prevent and respond to an active shooter scenario. Contact Information: CISA Election Security and Resilience (ESR) mailbox: electionsecurity@cisa.dhs.gov.
DHS Intelligence & Analysis Products
DHS and other federal partners regularly produce intelligence products on election security. These documents are available through the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN). If you do not have access to HSIN, please visit the HSIN website for registration information. HSIN is a platform used to safely share Sensitive but Unclassified information, amongst Federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, international, and private sector homeland security partners. Cleared law enforcement professionals may request access to one of a number of HSIN Communities of Interest.
Department of Justice
- Preparing for a Safe Election Season: This podcast episode from the DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services podcast, What’s New in Blue, centers around Sheriff (Ret.) Paul Penzone of the Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff’s Office and Chief Chris Davis of the Green Bay (Wisconsin) Police Department. The two law enforcement leaders discuss lessons they have learned about preparing for a safe election season, particularly when faced with intelligence or evidence of threats to voters, election officials, or polling places.