Policing in a Time of Elections

Ensuring public safety throughout an election season requires law enforcement agencies to update and adapt their strategies. This project brought together more than 60 federal, state, and local law enforcement leaders from across the country. Over a series of convenings, they identified common challenges and successful strategies. These findings, in combination with research and other promising practices, have been assembled into a guide for law enforcement agencies.

Project Overview

Election season in the United States presents a unique public safety challenge for law enforcement: keeping election officials and the public safe while also maintaining a welcoming environment for all voters. As law enforcement leaders look ahead to the 2024 elections and beyond, applying field-tested adaptations to existing policies and practices can help them and their agencies meet this moment.

A safe operating environment is a baseline requirement for free and fair elections—the bedrock of American democracy. As outlined in this report, using a combination of careful preparation, thoughtful internal and external communication, and robust relationships, law enforcement leaders can be uniquely effective in preserving the public safety of all community members throughout the election season.

The findings in this report are broken into seven short modules by topic:

Section 1: Training Officers to Successfully Protect Elections
Section 2: Interagency Collaboration and Mutual Aid
Section 3: Conflict Management and De-Escalation
Section 4: Communication and Messaging
Section 5: Demonstration Management
Section 6: Tactical Considerations for Election Safety
Section 7: Officer and Staff Wellness During Election Season

Methodology

To help identify common challenges and successful strategies for protecting public safety during elections, the National Policing Institute (NPI), 21st Century Policing Solutions (21CP), and States United Democracy Center (SUDC) convened law enforcement leaders from across the country between October 2023 and February 2024. More than 60 law enforcement leaders from local, state, and federal agencies participated at these convenings—across 11 states and the District of Columbia—both in person across three different geographic regions and virtually. Participants shared their concerns about election season safety, as well as their successes, and identified resource gaps. This report synthesizes those discussions to help other law enforcement leaders and public safety professionals prepare for election season.