With the upcoming primaries and the big general election in November, it’s never too early to prepare for security threats at polling places such as schools, community centers, and other facilities.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released the Physical Security Checklist for Polling Locations, a new tool designed to bolster security preparedness for the frontline of U.S. elections.
The checklist, part of CISA’s suite of election security resources, is tailored to empower election workers with actionable and accessible security measures for locations serving as temporary election facilities.
“Protecting against physical threats to election locations like polling places where Americans cast their vote is one of the most significant responsibilities election officials bear. CISA is committed to doing anything we can to support this mission,” said CISA Senior Advisor Cait Conley. “The people who run elections and those who volunteer to work at polling places are heroes, and CISA is proud to support them, including with critical threat awareness and planning tools such as this checklist. While no measure can eliminate all risk, these resources empower officials to understand, mitigate, and address security challenges proactively.”
The resource is designed for simplicity, requiring no prior security expertise for implementation. It covers pre-planning and Election Day procedures and is adaptable to individual facility needs and resources. Through a series of yes or no questions, election workers and volunteers can assess potential security threats and incidents, aiding in the establishment and improvement of physical security measures.
The checklist broadly addresses several overarching security principles, including:
- Identifying an individual or group responsible for security and safety.
- Utilizing risk assessments to inform security.
- Developing plans to inform processes and procedures.
- Refining security measures before Election Day.
- Implementing mitigations and “day of” security measures.
- Reporting suspicious behavior or potential incidents.
The full checklist is available here.