Arizona A Top State For MAGA/QAnon Thugs Threatening Election Workers

Axios Phoenix reports, FBI identifies Arizona as one of top states for threats against election workers:

The DOJ and FBI have identified Arizona as one of the top states for threats to election officials and poll workers.

Why it matters: Widespread misinformation about election fraud has already resulted in several serious threats in Arizona and danger could increase now that early voting is underway.

• An Iowa man was arrested earlier this month for threatening to hang Maricopa County Supervisor Clint Hickman.
• Over the summer, a Massachusetts man was arrested for threatening to detonate a bomb in Secretary of State Katie Hobbs’ “personal space.”

Zoom out: In a letter to elections officials obtained by Axios, the federal law enforcement agencies said they’d reviewed more than 1,000 threats nationwide made against people involved with elections.

• 58% of those contacts were made in states such as Arizona, Colorado and Pennsylvania, where there were audits, recounts or public disputes over the 2020 election results.

By the numbers: Almost half of people who made threats lived in different states than the election worker they targeted.

• Threats were most commonly made via email, followed by social media posts and telephone calls. About 2% were made in person.
• 50% of people made multiple attempts to contact election workers.

Zoom in: In a press conference earlier this month, Maricopa County elections officials said they are working with the FBI and Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center to make sure all election activities are safe.

• Poll workers have received de-escalation training to handle upset voters.
• County sheriff’s deputies will patrol in and around the around the county’s tabulation center, where ballots are counted. [The County Sheriffs aligned with the Oath Keepers and the MAGA/QAnon thugs?]
• Deputies will be deployed throughout the county during early voting and on Election Day, but will only respond to a vote center if called. [Because police presence at polls is considered voter intimidation by the DOJ.]

What they’re saying: “We want to make sure there’s protection available but we’re not going to militarize this process. We want to make sure all people in our community feel comfortable and if they want to vote on Election Day, they’re going to vote on Election Day,” Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Gates said at the press conference.

Be smart: Maricopa County elections director Scott Jarrett encouraged people to seek out accurate information about the election process and not to fall for myths and inaccuracies that have incited threats.

What’s next: In the days leading up to Nov. 8, the FBI will establish a command center at its D.C. headquarters to monitor election threats.

• It will coordinate with other federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and elections departments.

The next attempted coup won't be a mob storming the Capitol. It'll be, as @marceelias puts it, "an election-subversion-and-certification crisis" that happens at the precinct, county, and city level. https://t.co/zvkShY3OsP

— Amanda Litman (@amandalitman) October 20, 2022

If you see something, say something.

From the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office:

Reporting Voter Intimidation and Other Unlawful Conduct

If you witness voter intimidation or other unlawful conduct at the polls, we recommend the following steps:

• First, inform a poll worker at the voting location, who will work to resolve any problems and call your county election officials and/or local law enforcement if needed. However, if you or anyone else is in immediate danger, call 911 first and then inform a poll worker if possible.
• Document what you see as much as possible, including the who, what, when, and where of the incident. (But keep in mind that taking photos or video is prohibited inside the 75-foot limit of a voting location.)

Click here to report the incident to the Secretary of State’s Office

You can also call 1-877-THE-VOTE. We will follow up with county election officials and federal, state, or local law enforcement entities if needed.

If you experience an incident when dropping off your ballot or going to vote, you can report it to your county elections officials or at our incident form: https://t.co/5TJGcnoEyp #TrustedInfo2022 pic.twitter.com/dfyN0tB19x

— Governor Katie Hobbs (@GovernorHobbs) August 2, 2022

From the U.S. Attorney For Arizona:

Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Sean Lokey has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer for the District of Arizona, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of complaints of voting rights violations and election fraud in consultation with Justice Department headquarters in Washington.

AUSA Lokey can be reached by the public at the following telephone number: 602-514-7516.

The FBI will also have special agents available in the Phoenix Field Division to receive allegations of election abuses on election day. FBI in Arizona can be reached by phone at 623-466-1999 or online at https://tips.fbi.gov/.

Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, D.C. by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ .

In the case of a crime of violence, call 911 immediately. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places.

Finally there is the completely useless Election Integrity Unit (EIU) in the Arizona Attorney General’s office. They only take online complaints, and are of no assistance.

There is also the Election Protection Hotline: