They’re not taking any chances in Nevada, Oregon and Washington state. All three states have placed their National Guards on standby for tomorrow’s big vote.
Not so in California. But there is still concern. KPBS viewer Arturo Toscano wrote to us asking:
"With the current misinformation circulating, what do we do if someone is 'observing' our vote and does not allow us to vote peacefully? Do we report this behavior as some type of interference, harassment, intimidation or other type of voter misconduct? I would like to have a normal voting experience without being subject to any type of interference, but if outside, unofficial individuals are attempting to intimidate or stop my vote, what legal recourse do I have?"
It’s a question we put to San Diego County Registrar of Voters Cynthia Paes, who said, “They should alert the poll worker."
Paes went on to say there have been no instances of voter intimidation in San Diego County in the days of early voting, and she doesn’t expect any.
“We're well-prepared for this election. Our poll workers are trained in de-escalation techniques to ensure a positive voting experience for all voters. Our elections here in San Diego County, they're open and transparent. We welcome the community to come in and observe every step of the process," she said.
But if there is an issue and de-escalation doesn’t work, law enforcement is ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.
Still, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office said they haven’t picked up any threats to the voting process either.
“I think we've taken a very good proactive approach to it. We have our resources identified to enhance if need be. And we've got folks at our Sheriff's Operations Center monitoring everything," said Sheriff's Dept. Capt. Chris Steffen, who's in charge of security at county voting centers. Steffen said the department also has federal partners in this effort, including the FBI.
Voting centers will stay open until 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Paes said the first results will be released shortly afterward, the next step in a process that has gone smoothly so far, one that Paes said she’s confident will be exciting, and hopefully uneventful.
