Washington Governor Jay Inslee has activated members of the National Guard to support local law enforcement amid concerns of potential unrest as Election Day approaches. This decision follows warnings from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security regarding threats to election infrastructure, particularly after a recent incident in Vancouver where a ballot drop box was set ablaze, damaging hundreds of ballots.
In his communication to Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh, the adjutant general of the Washington National Guard, Inslee stressed the importance of being prepared to handle any civil disturbances or violence. He highlighted that the activation would ensure a sufficient number of personnel are ready to respond quickly from Monday until shortly after midnight on November 7.
With early voting already underway in Washington and over two million ballots cast, officials are on high alert for election security, especially following the fire incident. The backdrop of this heightened vigilance includes significant court rulings in key battleground states like Pennsylvania, Nevada, and Georgia regarding voting rights and ballot procedures.
For instance, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that voters whose mail-in ballots are disqualified may still cast provisional ballots, ensuring their votes are counted. Nevada’s Supreme Court recently confirmed that mail ballots received without a postmark can be counted as long as they arrive by the election deadline. Meanwhile, in Georgia, recent rule changes by the state’s election board have faced criticism and legal challenges, complicating the certification of election results.
As the election nears, the potential for challenges to election outcomes based on unfounded fraud claims remains a concern. Nevertheless, established legal frameworks are in place to uphold election integrity and ensure results are certified as required.
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